Never Too Late
by dulscar
Summary: Future Fic.  Alex is living alone with her young daughter.  She has cut all ties from her family, her friends, and the love of her life.  Can anything be done to piece her life back together?  Or will it be too late?  Jalex.
1. Chapter 1

Never Too Late

A/N: This is a future-fic and will occasionally contain flashbacks in time designated by ".x.x." upon entering and exiting, just so you know.

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Disclaimer: Like all the rest... Don't own WoWP, etc, yadda, yadda, yadda... Here we go...

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Rain pounded the roof of her quaint suburban home and through the lightening that flashed in the sky, and the thunder that rattled the windows, the faint outline of her humble house could be made out. Red and beige brick adorned the exterior walls and rose bushes, secretly her favorite, lined the facade, extending up the windows that faced the small front lawn.

It was nothing fancy, like she had always thought she wanted, just two bedrooms, one bathroom, a nice kitchen with rich, warm wood, and new stainless steel appliances, though they were rarely used... except for the microwave... and a large living room with a desk in the far corner so Alex could work on her illustrations from home.

It was warm and cozy, safe and secure... just what she needed after everything she had been through... the perfect place to raise a family... almost.

"Hey, mommy..." called a young brunette emerging from her room, awoken by the storm.

Alex Russo looked up from her magazine at her daughter and noticed the worry on her child's face, trying to stay brave. "Katie, honey, what are you doing up? It's late."

"I know. It's just that..." she started, fidgeting with her fingers, looking at the floor.

"C'mere, Katie" Alex said, patting the deep red couch "What's wrong?" she asked with a worried smile.

Young Katie walked quickly to her mother, across the simple tan carpet and hopped up on the couch next to Alex, leaning against her, as a loving arm wrapped around her shoulders. "I... It's..."

"It's okay, honey. Remember what I told you? You can tell me anything, okay?" Alex assured, rubbing her daughter's back, a bit of a smile forming as Katie slowly nodded.

Moving her hand back to her child's shoulder, she gave it a gentle squeeze to encourage her to continue. "It's okay." she reassured softly.

"Well... I'm... I just couldn't sleep." Katie blurted out quitely.

Alex chuckled softly to herself, "Sweetheart, it's okay to be scared of the thunder. You know, I still-"

"I'm _not _scared, mommy." she replied indignately. "I'm a big girl now!" Katie stated proudly.

"Katie... you're four." Alex stated dryly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. And while her child was too young to know what sarcasm was, she still reconized the tone when she heard it... so naturally, being her mother's daughter, she playfully stuck out her tongue.

Alex giggled at her little girl, thinking about how much she resembled herself. She had the same dark hair, the same delicate features, and the same indominable spirit. But at the same time, what struck her most, were her daughter's eyes... she had her father's eyes... and that always made her smile.

Sure, Katherine was mischievious, and occasionally careless and stubborn, though Alex denies that these traits came from her, but she was also kind, caring, and compassionate... just like her father, the man she loved... no, the man she _still_ loves... the man she wishes was still in her life.

"Can you tell me a story? Just 'till I fall asleep?" Katie asked, but quickly added, "... but not cause I'm scared." She had always felt like she needed to be strong for her mother, but she never understood why. Maybe it was because Alex had raised her by herself, maybe it was because she subconsiously felt her mother's lonliness... or maybe it was because sometimes, at night, she would wake up and hear her mom crying...

Alex smiled down at her little girl, "Of course, sweetheart. Which- Whoa!" she yelped as Katie grapped her hand and sprung from the couch dragging her mother quickly to her room.

Powder blue paint covered the walls, intermingled with whispy patches of white, and large pink and green butterflies, unicorns, and fairies danced among the painted clouds... That's what happens when you let your child 'design' her room, Alex thought.

Katie jumped into bed and motioned for her mother to lay down beside her after she was snuggly tucked in. Alex flopped down beside her, causing little Katie to giggle at her mother's antics. "Ok, honey," she said, rolling onto her side, tucking her hand under her head "what story do you want to hear?"

Katie thought about if for a little bit, pursing her lips together as she made her decision. She loved her mom's stories, and all of the funny voices she attempted, but there was one story she desparately wanted... needed to hear. It was the one she'd wished her mother would tell her for as long as she could remember, which, granted, wasn't that long, but for a child, was an eternity. She wanted to know about her father.

"I want you to tell me about daddy." Katie stated bluntly. Alex froze but she retained her composure, not wanting to show her daughter how difficult this would be for her.

Though stoic on the outside, inside, her mind raced. A thousand questions buzzed through her consciousness, her heart's rythmic beating picked up it's pace, and she could feel her palms become damp. "Wh... What?" she stuttered out. "Why?"

"Cause..." Alex noticed the tears brimming in her daughter's eyes, and she felt her stomach twisting as Katie continued. "Some of the other kids at pre-school... they... made fun of me" she sniffled. "They said that my daddy didn't want me... that... that... he didn't love me... and that's why he's not here." Alex could feel her heart breaking as she watched the silent tears slip from her daughter's eyes and before she could stop it, her own soon followed.

"Is that why you were so upset when I picked you up today?" she asked, wiping her eyes, as Katie slowly nodded.

"Katie, you're father loves you very much, okay? It's just that..." she paused. _He doesn't know that you were even born._

"It's just what, mommy?"

"Nothing, honey. Now, what did you want to know?" Alex asked to deflect the question, stroking her daughter's cheek. She knew this day would come eventually, she just didn't expect it to be so soon. She knew she would have to tell her something... the truth... but could she tell her daughter the whole truth?

"Hmm..." the young brunette started, tapping her index finger on her chin, "tellll meee" she paused, quirking the side of her mouth up, "everything."

_Damn it!_ Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay" she said, a smile growing on her face. And doing her best Inigo Montoya impersonation, "Let me explain... No... There is too much... Let me sum up!"

Katie looked at her mother quizically for a moment, knowing she was trying to change the subject.

"What? That's from the Princess Bride... Anything? No? Nothing? C'mon!" Alex joked.

"Mom."

"Ugh. Fine." she said, finally allowing herself to roll her eyes. _This girl knows me too well. _"Yippee!" Katie exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Alex rolled onto her back and folded her hands across her stomach and took several calming breaths before beginning. "Well, your father and I... we fell in love when we were young but... um, my parents wouldn't let us to be together."

"How come?" Katie asked.

"They said that..._" Jesus, how do you explain this to a four year old? _"...they said that he wasn't right for me."

"Oh," her daughter said softly, "was he mean to you?" she finished sadly.

"What!" Alex asked, clearly startled at that thought. "No! Absolutely not!" She stated firmly. She looked over at her daughter and smiled fondly in rememberance. "He was kind, and sweet, and gentle, and he loved me... he _truly_ loved me... and he would _never_ hurt me. He..."

.x.x.

_He snuck into her room late one night after her parents had gone to bed, closing her door behind him as silently as he could, flicking the lock. "Alex, are you awake?" he asked softly, walking toward her bed._

_"What took you so long?" she replied in mock frustration, as she sat up in her bed, the smile on her face in the pale moonlight seeping through the windows giving her away. In that moment, with the moon beams caressing her soft skin, and the innocent expression on her face, he would have sworn she was an angel... beautiful and perfect._

_"Sorry, I didn't want them to hear." he said, motioning with his head in the direction of Jerry and Theresa's room. He climbed into her bed, placing a soft slow kiss on her lips as he laid them both down, facing each other. _

_Gently he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, tracing up and down her spine with his finger tips. She shivered under his touch and melted into his embrace, having completely forgotten the 'frustration' from earlier. _

_Never in her young life had she felt so safe, so secure... so loved. Every moment she spent in his arms was a moment she'd wished could last forever. "I love you."_

_"I love you too, Alex." he whispered to her before leaning forward and connecting his lips with hers. Alex returned his kiss with ferver, running her hands through his hair, as her tongue grazed his bottom lip, begging his mouth for entrance._

_Once granted, tongues wrestled for dominance, neither caring who actually won... it didn't matter... it never mattered... and as the kiss deepened, growing more passionate by the second, hands began roaming freely. A touch here, a rub there, a gentle caress of her breast, fingers grazing his toned abs, soft moans filling the quiet room._

_She pulled back from him to stare into his kind and loving eyes, before whispering "I'm ready."_

_Clothes were stripped and tossed carelessly around the room, butterflies filled their stomachs, and eyes met as he positioned himself at her entrance. "Are you sure?"_

_She gave a quick nod, "Yes", and closed her eyes, pressing her forehead into his neck, to brace for the quick burst of pain. She felt him push forward..._

_.x.x._

"Mommy?" Katie asked, nudging her mom's shoulder. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Alex shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "What? Katie, what's wrong?" Alex asked nervously, seeing the tears on her daughters face.

"I don't know... You stopped talking... and... and..." the young brunette sniffled.

"And what, honey?"

"You were staring out my window, and.. you were smiling... but..."

"It's okay, Katie. But what?" Alex gently encouraged.

Katie whimpered a few more times before she could continue. "But then... you started crying..." she said, concern evident in her voice. "Are you okay, mommy?"

Alex reached a hand to her cheeks and could feel the moisture that had formed from the salty liquid seeping from her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She _was _crying... she was _still_ crying... but she knew why. She could see him again, touch him once more, and feel his warm breath on her skin... even if only in her mind. She knew why she tried not to think about him, she knew why she didn't want to tell Katie about him... Losing him hurt too damn much... forcing him away like she did fractured her world... and now she was reliving it.

"Yeah, I'm fine... It was... I was just thinking about me and your father's first time." Alex smiled fondly through her tears. Suddenly, her eyes popped open. _What the hell did I just say? Shit! How am I going to explain _that_ to a four year old? Maybe she won't notice. Maybe she won't ask... _

"First time what, mommy?" _Damn it!_

"Um, nothing, Katie. Don't worry about it." Alex said, a hint of caution in her voice. She smiled again as her daughter pushed out her bottom lip into Alex's trademarked pouty face. "I'll tell you that story when you're older, okay." She giggled as Katie quickly nodded her head. "And don't try that pouty face on me, young lady... I invented that!"

"Well... It's getting late." Alex said with a grunt, pushing herself off of the bed. "Time for you to go to sleep."

"But mmmooomm" Katie whined "What about the story about daddy?"

"I'll tell you more tomorrow, alright. You need your rest." Alex leaned over to place a loving kiss on Katie forehead. "Good night."

"Fine." Katie huffed. She was excited about finally being able to hear about her father and now that her mom had started her story, she didn't want it to end.

"Good. I'll see you in the morning." Alex turned and started to head back into the living room. Once at her daughter's door she paused and reached her hand up to turn out the light.

"Mommy?" the little girl called in a weak voice.

"Yes, Katie?"

"What's his name?" Alex turned, studying her child. She didn't want to tell her, not yet anyway. But she could see the pleading in Katie's eyes. "Katie, it's not important, not right now, okay?" she asked hopefully.

If they weren't so similar, Alex might not have noticed the mischevious glint emerging in Katie's eyes, but she did... she just wasn't expecting this...

"If you tell me, then I won't have to tell Mrs. Jenkins that you forgot to pick me up Monday after school." Katie said in a sing-song voice.

"Wha-gah-tha-ugh-Katie!" Alex immediately slapped her had over her mouth and she thought her eyes might pop out of her head. _Oh my God! I'm turning into dad! Double damn!_

Katie giggled at her mom's antics.

Alex shook her head, clearing out the confusion from that realization. "I didn't forget... I was just late... there's a difference." She stated with conviction. "Besides, you can't threaten to tell our neighbor something just to get _me_ to do something... that's blackmail. It's wrong."

Katie looked at her mom for a bit, analyzing what she just said before asking, "What's blackmail?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about _that_ either. You're- " Alex stopped when she saw the realization wash over her young child, and as Katie smiled out an excited "Oh!", she threw her hands up in exasperation... "Great. And now you know what blackmail means. Perfect." _Of course she figured it out. Crap!_

"So... What's his name?" the adorable brunette tried again.

"Ugh. Fine." Alex huffed, trying to remember the name she'd placed on Katie's birth certificate.

_"_His name is, um..." she started, shakily trying to recall... "Jesse Reynolds."

"Do you miss him?" Katie asked

Alex felt the tears jerk back into her eyes as memories flooded her mind. "Everyday." she replied, wiping her eyes.

Even though Katie was young and didn't know what it was, she felt empathy toward her mother, she felt Alex's pain as her own... And even though she didn't know her father, she knew that she missed him, that she wanted him in her life... "Me too." she sniffled.

Alex nodded and wiped the final traces of moisture from her face, and smiled at her beautiful daughter when she spoke. "Thank you, mommy... for telling me."

"You're welcome, honey. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll go get some ice cream and tell you some more about your dad, okay?"

_I hate lying to her about her father..._

_._

_._

A/N: chapter 1 is done, chapter 2 coming shortly. And for those of you who've read my other stuff and are concerned about what i might do to them... don't be... i have no intention of doing anything especially bad to them... a sweet story is what i'm planning here... eventually.


	2. Chapter 2

Never Too Late

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First: I want to thank everyone who had read and reviewed this. I really appreciate it. Second... nope, I guess that's it.

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Chapter 2

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Disclaimer... see ch. 1... Here we go...

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The previous night was rough on Alex. She barely slept and it took every fiber of her being to keep herself from weeping like she had done so many times over the past few years, because nights... nights were the hardest. When there was nothing left to do, when Katie was securely tucked in bed, her mind drifted to him... her friend, her lover, her soulmate. She thought about the way things ended, the things she could have tried to do differently... but she didn't have a choice; her mother had forced her hand.

Alex and Katie left their home around noon and headed to their favorite ice cream parlor waiving to their neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, as they passed.

Shirley Jenkins was a kind woman and Alex felt totally at ease around her, as did Katie. She was an older lady, mid to late seventies, Alex guessed, slightly on the heavy side, but full of life and had a laugh that filled any room she was in. Her own children had left home decades ago and her husband of fifty three years had passed just three months before she had met Alex... before she had saved Alex.

Shirley had seen this desperate young brunette walking along the road holding out her thumb to the passers-by, and somehow, she felt a connection to her. The young woman's eyes were so hollow, so sad, nearly devoid of life, and an utter look of defeat surrounded her. She stopped and picked up this haggard looking stray and brought her home... and soon, kinship, followed by a steadfast friendship blossomed.

"Hi, Mrs. Jenkins!" Katie called excitedly, waving both her hands.

Shirley looked up from her knitting and sat up straight in the rocking chair on her front porch. A huge smile crossed her face at this exuberant young girl quickly bounding across her neatly manicured lawn and up the three steps to her porch. "Katie!" she chucked, holding out her arms. "How's my favorite little girl today?"

Shirely let out a small 'oompf' as Katie jumped up into her lap and threw her arms around Shirley's neck. "Great! Mommy was telling me about daddy last night and now we're are going to go get some ice cream and she gonna tell me more! You wanna come? Do you? Do you?" the little girl rambled on.

Alex had never spoken about Katie's father to her before and while she was curious, when she saw Alex walk up to them, a weak smile on her lips and exaustion heavy on her face, Shirley decided that maybe some mother-daughter time was in order, or at least some more rest.

"Not this time, precious. Maybe next time, okay?" she replied sweetly to the little girl in her lap. Katie nodded, "Okay." she said with a little disappointment in her voice.

Mrs. Jenkins smiled and looked back at the young mother standing next to her. "Alex, dear, can I talk to you for a second?" Alex nodded, "Sure."

"Katie, honey," Shirley began, "Go inside and play for a minute. Me and your mommy are going to talk for a little bit."

The little brunette grinned eagerly, hopping off of her older neighbor. "Okay!" And with that, she ran inside to where her toys were kept. She loved staying over at Mrs. Jenkin's house, although she detested the phrase 'babysitting' because, as she affirmed, she's _not_ a baby. It was so warm and cozy, just like her house, and Shirley always had cookies, and cupcakes, and all of her favorite drinks in ready supply.

"Alex, sit down." Shirley said, motioning to the chair beside her. Once Alex sat down she continued. "Her father?" She watched her young neighbor nod.

"She asked him about last night." Alex said trepidly. "I was telling her..." she trailed off.

Shirley looked at Alex and her face grew concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just that..." she blinked a few times to stave off the tears, "I miss him, so much, and lately... I've been thinking about him more and more is all." she said sadly, looking down at her fidgeting fingers.

Shirely reached out a hand to rub Alex's shoulder and spoke softly, "I know how you feel. I know how much I miss my Michael... but trust me, it gets easier. Is Katie's father- You know... with my Michael?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, ma'am, he's fine." Alex said taking in a deep breath and letting it out with a small smile. She always loved the way Mrs. Jenkins referred to her late husband as 'my Michael.' It reminded her of own possessiveness toward Katie's father... and an easier time... a happier time.

"Well then," Shirley said with a grin, lightly patting Alex on the shoulder, "you have nothing to worry about." She finished confidently. She noticed the confused look growing on Alex's face and continued with a soft smile. "I know things seem down now, but believe me, if there's one thing that this old lady can offer you, it's sound advice... No matter what, love _always_ finds a way."

Alex could feel the smile growing on her face. It seemed like Shirley was always right and she respected that wisdom. "Thanks Mrs. Jenkins. I-"

"Oh, sweetie, how many times do I gotta tell you?" Shirley asked, playfully tapping Alex's knee. "Stop with this "ma'am and Mrs. Jenkins" business... I don't need to feel any older than I look!"

Alex laughed. Shirley seemed to sense how to make her young neighbor feel better and Alex was always greatful for that. "Thank you Mrs... I mean, Shirley. For everything."

"That's what I'm here for, dear." Shirley said with a grin. "Now, get that pretty kid of yours and go get that ice cream!"

"Oh, I almost forgot." Alex said, digging through her purse and pulling out a check. "Here." She extended her hand to Mrs. Jenkins but Shirley waved it off.

"Alex, you know I don't need that, and even if I did, I still wouldn't take it. I love you two like you were my own... and besides, I'm getting kinda tired of ripping those things up every month." she said, lifting her slightly shaking hands. "These things don't work like they used to."

Alex chuckled at the kind old lady, "I know, but..." she said, her voice suddenly getting somber, "After everything you've done for us, I'd feel guilty if I didn't try..."

"Don't you think on that for another second, alright?" Shirley said, smacking Alex's knee again. "Happy to help!" Shirley picked up her knitting needles and looked back at Alex. "Now, go get that ice cream. Ooo! Bring me back some Rocky Road and we'll call it even."

Alex laughed again because after everything that Shirley has done for her, they'd never be even, but Shirley wouldn't be denied and Alex knew it. "You gotta deal. Thanks again."

...

"Ok, mommy," Katie started, bounding hand in hand with her mother, as they walked to the ice cream parlor, "tell me more about daddy."

"Alright, where was I?" Alex asked, looking at her daughter, her trepidation from last night suddenly gone, thanks to Shirley. "Oh, right!" she exclaimed, suddenly remembering. "We were young when we fell-"

Katie giggled, "You already said that."

"Right, right. Um... Okay, so we were together for whole two years and they were wonderful! He was my first love, well, my first _real_ love anyway, and being with him was..." Alex tilted her head, thinking of the perfect word, "...magical!"

"Each day we spent together was like the happiest day of my life. Sure, we fought sometimes but-"

Alex was interruped by the little girl tugging on her arm, "Mommy," Katie said with a pout, "I thought mommys say that when their _baby_ is born," she said, pointing at herself, "is the happiest day of their life."

The young mother stopped walking and knelt down eye to eye with her daughter and smiled at her. "Well, it's a tie, because it was our love that led to you." Alex said, gently poking her daughter in the tummy with her finger, illiciting a giggle from Katie.

Alex hugged her daughter and turned to stand up when she froze. A block away, with his back to her, stood a dark haired man, with the same style of clothes, the same build as the one she let go of so long ago. _Could it really be him? Has he finally found me? Had it really been five years? Has it..._

.x.x.

"_Has it really been a year already?" she asked, looking at the bouquet of roses he brought her. "You know those things are just going to die in like a week, right?" She tried to be nonchalant about the whole thing, to keep up the same armor she'd worn for years, but seeing the look in his eyes, and feeling the love in his heart, she knew that link by link, he was tearing it down... and she cherished it._

_"I know you think they're cheesy, Alex, but- Oomph!" he sputtered, as she came crashing into him, squeezing him tightly._

_Alex giggled into his chest, "Yes, they _are_ cheesy, and you just might be Mayor of Cornyopolis, but I love you anyway."_

_She could sense the smirk forming on his lips even though she couldn't see it. "Hmm, Alex Russo being nice? I wonder what this is gonna cost me..." Alex jabbed him in the ribs and chuckled at the satisfying "OW!" that fled his mouth._

_"What was that for?" he asked, trying to hide his smile._

_"For some how tricking me into liking roses... jerk." She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes, losing herself in their depths. She noticed him trying to open his mouth to speak but she quickly clamped her hand over it, shaking her head, "Don't speak... I don't think I can take anymore cliched lameness today..." She felt him smile into her palm, "Kiss me..."_

_.x.x._

Alex shook her head, absentmindedly muttering "Is that why I like roses?" to herself as her daughter stared up with confusion.

"What?" Katie asked. "Roses?"

Alex blinked quickly several times and noticed the man she was staring at had vanished. She frowned and shook her head, clearing her mind before looking at her child. "Nothing. We're almost there. C'mon."

...

Alex and Katie sat quietly enjoying their ice cream, making small talk with each other and some of the other people they knew from around town. They didn't talk about Katie's father while they were there because the little girl saw the growing distress on her mother's face.

But Katie knew how to make her mom laugh, so when Alex turned to talk to one of her co-workers, she quickly smeared the chocolate ice cream around her mouth and kept eating like nothing had happened.

Alex turned back around and looked at her little girl who had her head down, trained on the plastic bowl in front of her. When Katie looked up, Alex noticed her daughters mouth, and when Katie threw out a casual "What? Do I have something on my face?" Alex burst into laughter. Still laughing, Alex shook her head and slid around the table, napkin in hand, and began wiping her daughter's mouth.

"What am I gonna with you, kid?" Alex giggled. Katie smiled and shrugged, mouth full of her favorite treat, knowing she made her mother happy.

A few minutes later, they were finished and decided to head home. Alex pushed her self back from the table and looked out the large window in front of the shoppe and froze again, eyes growing wide...

There he was. The same man from before. Only this time, she could see his face. "Oh my God, is that _him?_" Alex whispered to herself. She jumped up from the table and ran to the window to get a closer look. She was nervous, excited, concerned, and thrilled that he was there but couldn't fight off the worry that gripped her.

Pressing her hands to the glass she saw him across the street, looking around aimlessly. "That _is_ him!" She pounded the glass trying to get his attention. "HEY!" she shouted "I'm here! Over here!" she shrieked excitedly, waving her hands to get his attention, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Katie, stay here!" She told her daughter. Alex ran out of the shoppe, and her heart filling with joy, running across the sidewalk, about to cross the street, shouting at him, "Hey! OVER HERE! You found me! I-"

Tires screeched, a horn blared, and she barely stopped herself in time, as the car swerved to avoid her. Alex looked up at him and saw him smile at her, as she ignored the screaming man emerging from the car that almost hit her.

She was about to sprint to him, jump into his arms, and plant the kiss on his lips she's been denying herself for five years, when a bus in the other lane passed by, temporarily obscuring her view. She jumped, trying in futility to see over it, but when it passed... he was gone.

Her eyes darted up and down the street desperately searching for her lost love but she couldn't see him. Not a trace seemed to remain. _What happened? He was there, right? I know he was there. He..._

She was losing control of her body as confusion and despair washed over her. Her legs went limp and she dropped to her knees sobbing, pressing her hands over her eyes. _What's happening to me?_

It wasn't until she felt a pair of small arms wrap around her that she began to come out of it. "Mommy, are you okay?" Katie said, crying at seeing her mother so distraught.

"No." Alex replied through her sobs, shaking her head, "I'm not."

...

They made it home just in time. Alex couldn't take much more. She kept seeing him no matter where she turned, her legs growing weaker each time he appeared only to have him suddenly slip away. She thought her mind was cracking the same way it did five years ago. She couldn't believe that one person could have such an effect on another... She hoped it was just from lack of sleep last night, that these random flashes of memory and the hallucinations would come to an end.

And while the vibrant visages of him were new, she had experienced these memory flashes before, but never during the day, and never were they so vivid. It was like her mind was calling out to him, trying to draw to her to him... or draw him to her. But could she allow this to happen? Would she risk potentially losing her daugher to find out?

Katie carefully led her mother to their couch and when she collapsed onto it, Katie climbed into her mother's lap and wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, buried her face into her shoulder and allowed her mom to cry.

Sweet little Katie didn't know what else to do. She wanted to run next door and get Mrs. Jenkins, she always knew what to do, what to say. Katie knew her mother wouldn't talk about her problems with her child, but the young brunette understood that it helped... it always had for her. Out of options, she just stilled, and held her mom until she calmed.

A few minutes later, Alex's breathing returned to normal and her daughter loosened her grip. "Mommy?" Katie asked worriedly.

"I'm alright, Katie." Alex spoke, forcing a weak smile onto her face so she wouldn't worry her child further.

"No!" Katie suddenly yelled, "You're not!" She put on her best 'angry' face which, for her age, was not all that intimidating. Alex was stunned. She had managed to let her daughter see her distraught and broken and now Katie was becoming angry at Alex's stubbornness. "You always say that when I'm upset that I need to talk about it. So... Talk." she finished firmly.

Alex took a second to collect herself, wondering when her little girl had become so forceful. "Katie, I can't... You wouldn't understand..."

.x.x.

_"Wouldn't understand. Wouldn't understand?" Theresa, her mother, shouted. "I understand perfectly young lady. I SAW you two yesterday on the couch! I SAW how you wiggled your little butt against him!" Theresa screamed furiously. _

_"It wasn't like that, mom." Alex pleaded, on the verge of tears. "We were just-"_

_"Enough!" Theresa yelled in a rage. She took a few deep breaths to calm her frazzled nerves. "Your father is downstairs telling _him_ the same thing I'm about to tell _you_." Alex grew more nervous as the seconds passed waiting for her mother to speak again._

_"You are NOT going to be alone with him anymore. You two are going to STOP whatever it is that's going on here." she snarled through her teeth, emphasizing her words with her hands. "I don't know what it is and don't WANT to know. But it stops, NOW! Do YOU understand, Alex?"_

_.x.x._

Alex was shaken from her thoughts, literally, and felt Katie's small hands on her shoulders, pushing and pulling, in an effort to snap her out of it.

The young mother wrapped her arms around her daughter and began sobbing again. "Okay, Katie... I'll... talk to..." she choked out, unable to finish, the sudden flashes becoming worse.

Katie waited once again for her mother to calm, whispering, "It's okay, mommy." over and over, while stroking her hair.

Alex sagged back into the couch trying to think of someone she could talk to who knew, at least in part, what was really going on. Although she was grateful that her child volunteered, she needed a friend. A smile crossed her lips when she thought of that friend, her best friend... Harper.

And although they haven't spoken in five years, she knew Harper would accept her back... she always did, always would, and Alex loved her for that.

"Katie, honey, I think I know sombody I can talk to." Alex finally said after a few minutes.

"Really!" her daughter said excitedly. Although she was a little disappointed that her mom wouldn't talk to her about it, she was happy that she listened to her...

"Really." Alex stated with a small smile at seeing her daughter relaxing a little. "She's an old friend of mine... Well, more like a sister." she corrected. "That makes her kind of like your aunt."

"Yea! I have an aunt!" Katie squeeled. "When are we going?"

"Tomorrow. We'll leave first thing in the morning." True, she still hated mornings, but she wanted to get this over with. She needed to stop her mind from unraveling before it was too late.

"But mom," her daughter started, slightly concerned, "I have school tomorrow."

"Pfft, it's just pre-school." Alex said, waiving her hand, _Loves school... definately didn't get _that_ from me..._ "It wouldn't hurt to miss a couple days."

"Hmm..." Katie began, tapping her finger against her chin, "Okay!" she happily exclaimed. Alex giggled. _Now _that_ came from me._

Katie hopped up from her mother's lap and headed off to her room, knowing already that she needed to start packing. Alex let out a heavy sigh and groaned, laying her head back onto the couch thinking about her latest memory flash.

_God, what's happening to me..._

_._

_._

A/N: chapter 2 done, 3 upcoming. most questions are answered about what happened to alex after she left.

this turned out longer than i would've liked but was too short, in my opinion, to break up into two. (i guess that's what happens when you try to keep a story straight in your head and don't bother writing out a layout) *shrugs* oh well.


	3. Chapter 3

Never Too Late

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As always, thanks to those of you who have read/reviewed/alerted this thing. I appreciate it.

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Chapter 3... Here we go...

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Harper sat on the sofa in her uptown Manhattan apartment flipping through this month's issue of _Fruits of the World_ looking for inspiration for her newest creation. Her husband of four years, Zeke, flopped down next to her in a sleek gray business suit and, with muffin in hand, leaned closer and took a bite.

"Whah ya ree-in?" Zeke asked. "Eck, babe, don't talk with your mouth full." Harper scolded, looking over at the big dopey grin on her husband's face. She sighed and smiled at him, holding up the magazine so he could see the front. Finally swallowing his monster sized bite, "New dress?" he asked.

Zeke had done pretty well for himself since he graduated from high school. He finished college in just three years near the top of his class, loading up during summers to finish early. He had managed to get a job in research at a high profile robotics engineering firm and was loving the opportunity he was given, after a year of grunt work, to do about half of his work from home and be near his new family.

Harper didn't have a job officially, instead, she opted to be a housewife and stay-at-home mother. She still designed dresses, which, by almost anyone else's standards, would be considered odd, but once she started leaving off the actual fruit, thanks to a strongly worded letter from the FDA and the USDA, she started doing pretty well for herself as well.

She spent her time designing and caring for their three and a half year old son, Tyler, a rambunctious child, like his father, quirky and fidgety, with his mother's red hair. Harper had never expected to get pregnant so soon after high school, she was only nineteen when they found out, but once Tyler was born and she and Zeke were married, she had never been happier.

"Well, babe, it's almost nine. I need to get to work." Zeke said, leaning in to kiss his wife on the cheek, leaving little bits of muffin as he pulled back, chuckling as he reached out to brush them off. Harper giggled, rolling her eyes, "Okay, have fun!"

...

About one o'clock that afternoon, after putting her son down for a nap, she heard a knock at the door. Rushing to the door, thinking that Zeke was home early and had forgotten his key again, she quickly unlocked it and flung it open. "Did you forget- " She was stopped mid sentence by the young woman standing in front of her. Harper's mouth dropped, her eyes went wide, she couldn't believe who she was seeing... who had finally come back. "Alex?"

Her best friend, who she hadn't seen in five years, was standing in her doorway and Harper couldn't move, couldn't think... all she could do was stare.

"Harper?" Alex asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure what her friend's reaction meant. Was she happy? Was she angry? Was she-

"ALEX!" Harper shouted exitedly causing Alex to flinch. "Oh my Gosh!" She exclaimed, reaching out and throwing her arms around her best friend crushing her in a bear hug.

"Where have you- What happened to- How did you- When did-" Harper rattled off, moisture beginning to glisten in her eyes, unable to think straight and form a coherent thought.

"Harper, your choking me." Alex struggled out, still smiling through the suffocating embrace of her friend.

"Oh, sorry." Harper pulled back and Alex could see the happy tears streaming down her face. Alex silently thanked God that her best friend didn't push her away, that Harper still cared and wasn't angry. "Alex!" she shouted again pulling the brunette back into another crushing hug.

Alex could only laugh at her enthusiasm. "I missed you too, Harper."

After a few minutes, Harper regained control of herself, mumbled out another awkward apology and released Alex. When she stepped back, she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again when she saw a small brunette, hiding behind her mother's leg, tiny hands clinging to Alex's pants, and one eye was peeking out around the side.

"Who's this?" Harper asked in a sweet voice, feeling a little bit embarassed that she may have frightened the little girl. Before Alex could answer, Harper squatted down and smiled at Katie. "What's your name, cutie?"

The little girl ducked her head behind her mother's leg but Harper could still hear the timid, "Katie", she received in answer to her question. Harper sucked in an excited breath, "Aw, that's such a pretty name!" she said, looking up at a smiling Alex and then back to the child. "How old are you?"

Harper's smile grew brighter when she saw four tiny fingers slide out from behind her mother's leg indicating her age, and Alex couldn't help but chuckle to herself when her daughter finished with "This many."

"Wow," cooed Harper, "you're such a big girl now!"

Alex and Harper smiled at each other for a moment before Katie playfully patted the side of her mother's leg and they tried their hardest to contain their laughter when Katie said, "See, told you, mommy."

Harper invited them both inside and motioned for them to sit down on the couch. She had so many questions she didn't know where to begin. Alex looked so tired, so... something, she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she could sense that her friend was in trouble somehow. She was so surprised that Alex had a daughter, and after doing some quick math, she figured that Alex was pregnant around the time she vanished.

"So..." Harper started, nodding towards the child sitting by Alex's side, "she's kinda shy, isn't she?"

Alex shrugged, "Sort of. She was happy to hear about her new auntie Harper," she said, nudging Katie, who quickly nodded, smiling the whole time, "but she does get shy around new people sometimes."

"Oh."

"But trust me, " Alex continued, "once she gets to know you, she will never s-h-u-t u-p." she spelled out.

"Alex!" Harper scolded.

"What?" Alex giggled, "It's true."

"What's true, mommy."

"That you're a perfect little angel, sweetheart." Alex smiled at her little girl. And in Alex's eyes, it was true, and Katie knew it.

They talked about Alex's little girl for a while longer, with Katie gradually warming up to her new aunt. Harper could see how proud Alex was of Katie, she could see how her friend's eyes beamed with joy when she spoke about her.

"Wow, Alex," Harper said softly, "I can't believe how much you've changed in five years... It's so good to see you... I don't know... like, nice."

"Aw, thanks, Harper. And it's good to see that the fruit is in a bowl on the table instead of on your hat." Alex said in a semi-sweet, semi-sarcastic tone.

Harper sighed in defeat. "Well, it was nice while it lasted." At least some things never change. They both chuckled at the past, remembering when Alex had been the snarky misfit instead of the responsible mother.

"Oh!" Harper exclaimed suddenly, "Where are my manners?" She got up from the couch and squatted down in front of Katie again. "Hey, you want to come help me make some snacks?" Katie quickly nodded and hopped off of the couch, taking Harper's hand as she was led to the kitchen. "Be right back, Alex." she called over her shoulder.

"This should be good." Alex mumbled through the mischevious smile on her face.

...

Twenty minutes later Harper emerged from the kitchen, looking a bit worn, with a still babbling Katie following closely behind, talking at a million miles a minute. Alex quirked an eyebrow at her friend and gave her a wry 'I told you so' grin. Harper huffed and rolled her eyes giving her a 'be nice' glare.

They sat and ate for a while, catching up on what had transpired over the last five years. Harper's wedding, and her disappointment over Alex not being the maid of honor, which made Alex instantly feel guilty... but Harper understood.

She was shocked, to say the least, when she found out that Harper also had a small child, about Katie's age. Alex had always imagined that their kids would grow up together and be inseperable, like their parents used to be, and the thought that they weren't saddened her a little.

Around this time, little Tyler emerged from his room, surprised to see the new visitors. "Momma?" he said to Harper, "Who are them?" "Who are _they_, honey." Harper corrected lovingly. Tyler nodded and waited for an answer.

After a quick round of introductions, Katie was excited to have a new friend and began to ramble on about school and her other friends... and her father. Harper looked over at a clearly uncomfortable Alex before suggesting, "Tyler, why don't you show your new friend Katie your room."

Alex knew what was coming, she knew she'd have to talk about him. After all, that was the whole reason she'd come here, but that didn't mean she wasn't unsettled. "Alex, is _he_ Katie's father?" Harper asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes."

"Does she know?" Harper watched a suddenly defeated looking Alex shake her head, "No."

"Okay. It's okay, Alex. You don't have to jump right into it yet. I get it. How about..." Harper though about it for a bit. "...starting with where you've been for so long."

Alex nodded and took a deep breath, and thanked Harper for not forcing her yet.

"So after... you know... with my mom, I got in dad's car and just left." Alex started.

"I though you drove that into a giant sloppy joe with Dean." Harper inquired. Alex shrugged, "Magic."

"Anyway, I started driving west and made it about three hundred and fifty or so miles..." then Alex started chuckling, "...when I ran out of gas." Harper smiled at her to urge her on.

"Well, I forgot to take any money or credit cards with me so... I started hitch-hiking." The disapproving look from Harper earned her an eye roll and a huff. "It wasn't like I had a lot of choice."

"I'd been walking about three hours or so, when this old lady pulled over to pick me up..." she trailed off beginning to choke up. "Mrs. Jenkins, Shirley Jenkins... She took me in and let me stay with her. She didn't have to. She could've left me but she..." Harper moved closer to her friend when she noticed the silent tears begin to seep from Alex's eyes, and wrapped an arm around her.

Alex sniffled and shook her head trying to calm herself. "We were just outside of this little town in Pennsylvania called Warren, where she lived. Only had like ten thousand people or so and..." Alex started to smile and wiped her eyes thinking about her new home. "...it has this old Victorian style about it and Harper, it's so nice there, I think you'd really like it."

"Anyway, Shirley let me stay with her and then, after a few months, I started, you know, _showing_, and she knew I was pregnant." Alex paused to take a deep breath and blinked a few times to stave off more tears.

"Apparently she had won some kind of lottery or something several years ago... and when the house next door came up for sale..." Alex couldn't hold her emotions in check anymore and her tears fell once again. "... she bought it for me, Harper. This lady, who barely knew me, bought me a house... she... how can I ever..." she choked out.

Alex leaned forward and pressed her hands over her eyes, letting the salty liquid spill onto her hands. "She said... she said that I needed my own place... to raise my daughter." she spoke weakly between sobs.

Harper knew that Alex had never known such generosity, few people did, so she laid a hand on her crying friend's back and began rubbing it. She didn't say anything else for moment, allowing Alex to calm down.

Alex took a few deep breaths to steady herself and thanked Harper for soothing her. "So then, I got a job at Crary Art Gallery to pay for bills, and taxes, and insurance, and stuff, and-"

She stopped for a moment when she noticed the look of astonishment on her friend's face and said dryly, "Yes, Harper, _I_ got a job... deal with it." Harper giggled at her friends new found sense of responsibility, earning another eye roll and grunt from Alex.

"Annnyyway, I keep trying to pay Shirley back every month for the house, for helping me after Katie was born, for babysitting Katie, and everything else she's done but..."

Alex paused for a moment, remembering her conversations with Mrs. Jenkins on the topic, and giggled slightly, "...she keeps telling me to cut it out and usually tears up my check right there in front of me."

Alex takes a deep breath and sits back against the couch, still with a smile on ner face. "Honestly, Harper, I don't know what would've happend to me and Katie if Shirley didn't find me."

Harper smiled genuinely at her friend for a moment. "I'm glad she found you, Alex. You can't even imagine how worried about you I've been."

"I'm sorry, Harper. I wanted to tell you so bad, but I was just scared." Alex offered Harper a weak smile but Harper could see that her friend felt guilty about what happened, but she was never one to hold a grudge.

"Don't worry about it. I guess I can forgive you _one_ more time." Harper teased, nudging Alex with her shoulder.

'Thanks, Harper." Alex said, relieved at least somebody from her past had forgiven her for leaving.

"No prob." Harper said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Well, it's getting late. Why don't you stay for dinner? Then you can catch up with Zeke when he get's back."

"Sure." Alex replied, nodding her head.

"We can talk about why you came here tomorrow, if you're up for it, after you've had a chance to rest." "And-" she added quickly, noticing Alex opening her mouth to speak, "You're staying here in our guest room tonight. No buts!" she said, pointing a finger at Alex, threating her 'uncomfortable stare'.

"Okay, Harper. Thanks again." Alex said sincerely.

"Your welcome. Now let's go see what our kids have gotten themselves into."

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A/N: This chapter was mainly to explain questions you may have had about what happened to Alex when she left home. Shirely was originally supposed to be a 'side-swipe' character but I just fell in love with that old lady. Anywho, in chapter 4, Alex makes a big decision about her future after talking to Harper about Katie's father.

By the way: Warren, PA = real

Size of the town & style = real (mostly)

Crary Art Gallery = real (don't know if they hire or not)

Everything else = S.W.A.G (Scientific Wild Ass Guess)


	4. Chapter 4

Never Too Late

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As always, thanks to those of you have read/reviewed/alerted. I appreciate it.

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A/N: this will be the last 'backstory' chapter before things start moving along. i didn't intend it to take 4 chapters... but it had to be done.

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Chapter 4... Here we go...

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It was nearly noon when Alex finally 'woke' up. She needed the rest. It wasn't until Katie felt like her mother had enough sleep and ran into the room, belly-flopping onto Alex, greeting her with a cheerful "Morning, Mommy!" that she finally awoke... albeit, with a grunt.

Katie, Tyler, and Harper and spent the morning making pancakes, talking about anything that came up, which with two small children, was no easy task... Everything from unicorns to Spongebob, why trash was called trash, and the meaning of the word 'green'...

Alex stumbled out of the guest room and into the kitchen, mumbling a 'mornin' to the three around her, while running her hand through tangled hair. After some pancakes and coffee and a warm hug from her daughter, Alex was finally able to form a coherent thought as her mind finally switched out of 'sleep mode'.

Back in the living room, the kids sat on the floor watching some show on tv about dinosaurs or cement trucks, or something, Alex wasn't really paying that much attention since it appeared to be educational, but the kids seemed to enjoy it, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Alex flopped down onto the couch next to Harper and listened to her prattle on about Zeke and Tyler, not that she minded, she missed her friend.

Harper asked Alex more about her home, what Warren, PA was like, and what there was to do around there.

"Well, Harper, Katie _loves_ Allegheny National Park... though, I don't know why... it's so... _outside_." Alex said looking at her daughter.

"Hey" she continued with a mischievious glint in her eye, looking back at Harper, "wanna hear something funny?"

"Umm, sure..." Harper replied uncertainly, knowing they had very different ideas of what funny was.

"Hey, Katie. What's the name of that park you like?"

"Alligator!" the young brunette exclaimed excitedly.

"See!" Alex chuckled.

"Oh, Alex, that's awful." Harper giggled.

After about a half-hour of Harper filling the, what would have otherwise been, awkward silence, since she had so many questions and didn't know where to begin, her curiosity and worry had gotten the better of her. "So... Why did you come here?" But quickly added, "Not that I'm not glad you're here!"

Alex chuckled nervously at her best friend for a moment, trying to put on a brave front. She was anxious, but like she'd always told her daughter, talking about the problems you're encountering can help. At least she had Katie convinced, even if she didn't really believe it herself.

She took a deep breath and ran a shaky hand through her hair, then spoke cautiously, softly. "Well... I've been thinking about him lately... a lot." Alex said, playing with the hem of her blouse. "And I've started having these, I don't know, visions or something, but they're more like memories that I'm reliving..." Her face scrunched up for a moment, trying to find the words to express it. "Ugh, I don't know how to explain it." she finally huffed in frustration.

"It's alright, keep going." Harper urged in understanding.

"Well, recently, they have started getting worse and worse." She looked up at Harper and offered a weak smile. "I just needed someone to talk to."

"I'm glad you came me, Alex." Harper said with a smile. "So," she continued, "when did these... whatevers, start?"

"Almost a year after Katie was born." She opened her mouth to speak but her friend beat her to it.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Harper blurted out absentmindedly. "What name did you put her birth certificate, you know, for her father?"

Alex looked at her friend curiously for minute. "Jesse Reynolds, why? What difference cou-"

"Seriously?" Harper snickered until she saw the curious look from Alex turn slowly to a glare. "Alex, do you remember that one creepy kid in Algebra?"

"We had Algebra?" Alex asked flatly.

"Ugh, yes, Alex, we did. Although that _was_ when you touched up your make-up and-" Harper started until she was interrupted.

"Oh yeah! My free period." Alex said, tilting her head to the side in rememberance.

"No, it wasn't a free- ugh, nevermind. Anyway, you remember that kid who sat in the very back with the weird blue hair?"

"You mean the one with the third nose hole?"

"Nostril, Alex, but yeah, him." Harper corrected.

Alex squinted her eyes at Harper for a minute, trying to figure out what she was talking about, but soon, she figured it out. "Oh my God! You mean.." Alex said, cupping her hand over her mouth.

"Yep." Harper giggled.

"And I..."

"Uh huh!"

"And his name was..." Alex said, placing her hand to her forehead, and shaking her head. She looked at Harper who was trying her best not to laugh and shot her another glare. "Ugh, I wasn't thinking clearly, okay? I _did_ just push out a small human. And besides, Reynolds just happened to be one of my nurse's names." she finished sarcastically.

"Okay, " Harper said, still giggling, "I was just trying to lighten the mood a little... sorry to interrupt. Keep going."

"Anyway, like I was _trying_ to say, it started about a year after she was born. It was only a few times at first, but they kept getting more and more frequent..." her voice trailed off as her nerves began to fray.

Alex looked away from Harper before her friend was able to see the worry growing on her face. "But lately, they've been getting more vivid, more frequent, ever since Katie started asking about her father... and now..." she said, her voice quieting.

"What is it, Alex" Harper asked, concern evident in her whispered tone.

"I've started to hallucinate." Harper could hear the distress in her friends words and could understand how weak she must have felt at the admission, knowing how strong Alex liked people to think she was, and moved closer to take Alex's hand.

Alex nodded as she squeezed Harper's hand with a silent 'thank you' before continuing. "The first time was two days ago but..." she said shakily, "... but I..." she could feel the moisture building in her eyes, but blinked furiously, refusing to let them fall.

Harper sensed her discomfort and even though she was worried about Alex's hallucinations and what this could mean, she also knew that Alex needed a push to talk about what was bothering her. "But what?" she whispered.

Alex sniffled, wiping her eyes with her palm. "I saw him again last night." she said wearily.

"Oh." Harper shifted uncomfortably on her couch, trying to discern what this was. "When you see him, what does he do?"

"Nothing. That's the thing, Harper." she started with pleading eyes. "He just stands there looking at me, smiling." Alex drew in a ragged breath and let it out slowly. "I'm... When I see him, I get so happy. I think he's finally found me and we can..." _be a family again._ She felt the salty liquid she'd been trying so desparately to hold back begin to slide down her cheeks, "... but then he's... just gone."

The pain in her best friend's voice was breaking Harper's heart. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to say, she wasn't sure what to ask, but she knew that _not_ talking about it was worse than saying nothing. "Wh- what do you think it means?" she asked uncertainly.

Alex quickly sat up straight and wiped the moisture from her face, afixing to it a steadfast look of determination. "I've been thinking about it, Harper... and I think it means that I need to look for him." she said sternly, but quickly shook her head. "No! I think it means I need to _find_ him."

Harper felt her heart sink, remembering how much this factured Alex's family the first time. "Alex," Harper started in a concerned tone, "are you sure that's a good idea?"

Alex took in a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh, recalling the same events, sadness suddenly choking her voice. "No, but I'm just tired of being without him. I'm tired of Katie not having a father. I... I've got to do _something._" Alex ran her hands through her hair, her irritation building. "Don't I _deserve_ to be happy, Harper? Doesn't Katie _deserve_ a father?" she snapped.

Harper noticed the anger emerging in Alex's eyes, could feel it in her tone, and tried to get her to relax. "Alex, calm down, okay?" she asked in a soothing voice. "I'm not saying that you two _don't_ deserve those things, because you do, Alex, you really do. It's just that-"

"What, Harper! What is it? Am I not-" guilt, regret, and sadness quickly racked her already fragile state and her tears couldn't be held back any longer.

"I just... I don't know what to do, Harper. I mean, what would _you_ do if this happened to you? What would _you_ do if you were forced apart from Zeke?" she said through ragged breaths.

Harper wrapped her arms around her friend, gently stroking her hair, trying to be as soothing as she could.

Several minutes later, Alex nodded against her friend's shoulder a silent 'I'm okay' and Harper loosened her grip and pulled back, handing Alex a tissue to wipe her eyes.

"I don't know, Alex. I really don't but, sometimes, it's not about what we deserve... sometimes it's about doing what's best..." Harper added softly, motioning her head toward the children.

Alex looked at Harper with a mix of irritation and confusion at how her friend couldn't understand how difficult living without the half that makes her whole was.

But Harper knew that she needed to help her best friend think clearly. She knew she needed to cut through the haze clouding Alex's mind.

"Alex," Harper asked, "can I tell you a story?"

Alex gave her friend a strange look, but reluctantly agreed. "Sure."

"Have you ever heard the tale of the dog with two bones?" Harper asked.

Alex snorted. "Is that like some sex thing? Cause I haven't had a 'bone'", she said in air quotes, "since-"

"Ew, Alex, No!" Harper said shaking her head. Alex chuckled at her best friends sudden squeamishness. Harper let out an annoyed huff, although she was relieved at least some of the anger had left Alex's eyes. "Just listen, alright?"

Alex half-grinned, but nodded anyway.

Harper drew in a long, calming breath before beginning. "Once there was a dog, and he had this bone. It was his favorite thing in the world. He took it with him everywhere he went and cherished it above anything else." Harper said, glancing at Katie. She was thankful that neither her or Tyler had seemed to hear, or at least pay attention to, Alex's earlier outburst, but she suspected that they noticed anyway and frowned.

Alex followed Harper's eyes for a moment then looked back at her friend as she continued. "Well, one day, he wanted to go for a walk down to the lake behind his house. He walked out onto the pier and looked down into the water, and there he saw another dog holding a bone that looked just like his."

Alex looked down at her hands for a moment, and then back to Katie before returning her eyes to Harper. "Well, he wanted _that_ bone too but when he opened his mouth to grab it, _his_ bone, his most cherished possession, slipped from his grasp and disappeared beneath the surface."

Alex looked down at her hands again and nodded, but didn't meet Harper's eyes as she continued. "He was left standing there, staring at himself... with nothing."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut as a single tear slid out. "I know how much you want him back, Alex, but what I'm trying to say is this: I'm worried that if you try to get him back, you could lose Katie... You could be the one left staring back at yourself... with nothing."

"I know, Harper." Alex replied, realizing the wisdom in her friends words, her voice cracking. "You're right... It's just that-"

"I'm know, Alex. I'm sorry." Harper consoled.

Alex took a few ragged breaths, knowing what she needed to do, "I guess... I guess I have to learn how to live with out him." She knew Harper was right. There was a chance that if she tried to find him, and her mother found out, she could lose Katie forever. And she was devastated.

Harper nodded sadly, thinking to herself, _I wonder if would make things easier if I gave her what he left for her... No, no, it wouldn't. She made the right choice, she needs to move on._ "I'm so sorry, Alex, but it's for the best."

Alex closed her eyes and let out weary sigh, shaking her head. "I just wish I knew how..."

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A/N: chapter 5 upcoming... Katie's father returns. Can Alex really let him go...

So, I'm not all that thrilled with this chapter or ch. 3 for that matter... it's not up to my usual self-imposed standards, but I know why... i can feel my interest in this story beginning to waiver... but i'll put up ch. 5 before i make any decisions.


	5. Chapter 5

Never Too Late

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This will probably be the last chapter... not the end of the story necessarily, but...uh... see A/N at the bottom.(its kinda long) Updated A/N as of 6/19.

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Chapter 5... Here we go...

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Katie and Alex spent the night at Harper and Zeke's before getting up early and making the seven hour drive back to Warren.

Alex had saw him again that night, but she didn't bother to tell Harper about it this time. Like the night before, he just stood there, at the foot of her bed, smiling lovingly at her before vanishing into thin air.

After a tearful goodbye and promises to visit, phone numbers and hugs were exchanged before the pair parted for home.

It was about four in the afternoon when they finally arrived. Alex was exhausted from two more days of restless sleep, but she still managed to cook an early dinner for herself and her daughter. After cleaning up a little bit, and deciding that the dishes could wait until tomorrow, she got Katie into a bath, and ready for bed.

It was still only around seven that evening, so the pair decided to watch some tv for a while until Katie's bedtime. Alex flipped her daughter the remote, knowing that she wouldn't be able to focus on whatever she was watching anyway.

She looked at her daughter and knew that she had made the right decision... she needed to let him go and move on... but she couldn't stop the regret from gnawing in the pit of her stomach... she couldn't stop it from showing on her face.

Her daughter looked back up at her with sadness in her eyes, and crawled up into her mother's lap. "Mommy, I heard you and Aunt Harper talking..." she said timidly.

Alex was stunned. She had forgotten that her daughter had been there in the room with them. "Re- Really?" she asked. Katie nodded. Alex sighed, and spoke sweetly, trying to reassure her daughter, "Honey, I'm sorry that-"

"No, mommy. It's okay." Katie interrupted. "I think you should find daddy..." Alex watched through sullen eyes as her daughter looked down at her fidgeting fingers, "...so you can be happy."

Suddenly, her stomach began to twist upon itself, her heart fell from her chest and she could feel the guilt coursing through her veins.

_Oh God! My daughter thinks that I'm unhappy with it being just the two of us... Damn it! That's not what I meant. How did I let this happen?_

"Katie, honey, I _am_ happy. _You_ make me happy. Okay?" Alex said, stroking her daughter's hair.

Katie shook her head slightly. "No, mommy, that's not what I mean." _Oh, thank God. _"I know you love me and I know we're happy together but..." the little brunette paused trying the find words to express her feelings and convey them to her mother, but her young mind wasn't able to and she began to get frustrated.

"But what, sweetheart?" Alex asked reassuringly.

Katie let out a quick huff and spoke sadly, "I don't know, mommy. I don't know."

It took Alex a little while to work out what her daughter was talking about. Katie wanted her daddy back and she knew her mother did too, and when Katie was saying 'happy', what she really meant was 'complete', but wasn't able to understand why her mom wouldn't try to find him.

Alex tucked Katie into bed around eight thirty as the thunder started rolling in and another storm grew in the sky. She kissed her daughter 'good night' and headed back to the living room, hoping the noise didn't scare her awake again. She flopped back onto the couch just as a heavy rain began to tap the glass in her home.

She was getting ready to head off to bed and let sleep take her, hearing the rain soften, when there was a knock at the door.

On tired legs she made her way over, slightly concerned with who would be there at that hour, but her neighborhood was safe, and she knew it.

With a quick twist of the deadbolt, she turned the handle, and pulled the door open... then froze.

Standing before her was the dark haired man in her visions, hair matted, clothes soaked from the rain. In her hallucinations, he never looked so worn, so weary... He always wore a bright smile and looked lovingly at her, but this man looked tired, defeated, but she saw in his eyes, those piercing eyes, a look of relief and confusion. Was he real? Was he another vision?

"J- Justin?" She stuttered out. "How-"

"Why?" He replied, cutting her off. His voice was raspy, his tone was almost robotic as he took a step forward, and she took a step back.

"What?" She asked shakily.

"Why did you leave me? Without an explaination, without so much as a 'goodbye.'" He took another step forward, she took another step back.

She still couldn't believe he had found her, finally, after all this time, he _found_ her. She wanted to reach out and touch his rain soaked face to make sure he was real, she wanted to crash into his warm embrace and feel loved, but she knew where one touch could lead.

"I'm sorry." She answered softly. One step forward, one step back.

"That's not an answer." He stated firmly. "Alex, I thought we loved each other, didn't we?" She watched his eyes soften a little then nodded. "Then why did you leave?" His voice was beginning to crack as the desperation of his search had finally paid off.

One step forward, one step back.

"Justin, I... I had to." she breathed out softly, unable to meet his eyes. "Look at me, Alex, please." he replied, matching her tone. She looked up at him and could see the moisture brimming in his eyes as he took one step forward and she took one step back.

"No, you didn't, Alex. I could've come with you. We could've-" he tried to finish but the tears, once threatening, now flowed freely. "I didn't know what happened to you... I didn't know if you were even alive or..." he spoke between sobs. "I've been looking for answers for so long... looking for _you_ for so long."

One step forward, one step back. "H- how did you find me?" she asked, emotions now causing her voice to waiver.

"I don't know..." he began, taking in a deep breath and wiping his eyes. "...Every so often I'd get this feeling like something was pulling me. It only lasted for a minute or two but, when it happened, I would move in that direction, almost involuntarily, for a few days." Justin explained. One step forward, one step back. _The visions!_

"I was able to ignore them after a while, but lately, this feeling came more frequently, more strongly, than it had been before. So I decided to follow it... and it led to you." he said, a smile beginning to form. "I'm just happy I found you, Alex" One step forward, one step back.

Her eyes had gone wide and he saw in them the same confusion that haunted his own. Neither of them knew what it meant. Did something or someone want them together? Was it just a coincidence?

They didn't speak for a few moments. Every step that Justin took toward her, she would take one backwards... until her back was firmly against a wall.

He took one final step forward, placing his feet on either side of hers, laying a hand on the wall behind her. He was so close that she could feel his warm breath against her and she knew if she didn't move away, where this could lead. She tried to move, tried to get away, but her body wouldn't listen, wouldn't respond... it needed him.

Her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly, as his hand came up to caress her cheek and a contented sigh escaped her mouth as she leaned into his gentle touch.

She could feel the same electricity flowing through her that she did all those years ago and her whole body felt like it was vibrating. Slowly, his thumb started gliding across her parted lips, and as it reached the middle, she pressed her lips together and kissed the rain soaked digit, before it finished its gentle trek to the other side.

She opened her eyes and saw him moving closer, pausing mere centimeters in front of her. "I love you, Alex." he whipered before bringing his lips to hers. She stiffened, at first, at his soft slow kiss, but soon relaxed into it, wanting to lose herself.

Quickly her body had taken over. Her left hand grabbed his drenched shirt and pulled him closer, deepening their kiss. She took her right arm and wrapped it around his waist, pulling it to her, as she pressed her hips foward into him.

Soon, tongues began dancing wildly with each other, his hand running through her hair, her pelvis grinding vigorously against his. Several moments later, they pulled back from each other, breaths heavy and ragged, and she looked into his eyes seeing the tears that had restarted... only then, noticing her own. "I've missed you so much, Alex." he said to her.

"I'm so, so sorry, Justin. I-"

"It's okay. I know..."

.x.x.

_"I know..." Theresa said through clenched teeth. Alex stared at her mother, her stomach rising to her throat._

_"What?" Alex replied, hoping it was something else... anything else._

_"I saw you kissing him in the lair yesterday." She hissed. "I know about you two... being together." Her voice was laden with disgust and disappointment, she was on the edge of rage, but tried to keep her self in check._

_"Alex, I told you six months ago to stay away from your brother. I told you six months ago that this needed to stop. I told-"_

_"What! What are you going to do, mother?" Alex said as sarcastically as she could. "Do you think anything you can say would make us stop loving each other? Do you think anything you can do will keep us apart?" Alex was beyond irritated with Theresa. Did her mother not understand that Alex gets what Alex wants?_

_Theresa narrowed her eyes at her daughter, stepping closer as Alex stepped back. She pointed her finger and growed out, "If you fight me on this, Alex, I WILL call the cops, I WILL-"_

_"Pfft, like I haven't hid from _them_ before." Alex interrupted, her own anger building, before almost yelling, "Go ahead, call 'em! We'll be gone before you hang up the phone and you'll never see us again!"_

_Theresa face twisted as an almost sadistic grin spread across it. "You and your brother, above all people, should _know_ that the NYPD aren't the _only_ cops in this world, Alex."_

_Alex froze, her heart was pounding, and her head was spinning, as what her mother was implying came together. There was no hiding from the Wizard police... they could find anyone hiding anywhere... and what Alex and Justin were doing, was beyond forbidden in the wizard world._

_"Y- You wouldn't." Alex stuttered, her eyes wringing forth the moisture she'd been holding back._

_"Try me." her mother spat out._

_Alex brought her hand to her mouth, trying to fight the urge to scream at her mother in defiance... something she would've done if the pregnancy test she'd taken that morning hadn't come back positive. She knew that the wizard police would separate her from her child and she may never see it again. And as the tears streamed down her face she tried one final time._

_"But, mom," she choked out, "It's-"_

_"That's enough, Alex. This is for the best!" Theresa said, waiving a hand to cut her off._

_Alex had heard enough. There wasn't anything she could say to change her mother's mind. She whirled around and began running to the stairs up to her room, pausing when Theresa called her name. Alex glared at her mother with a fury like she'd never known. "You ruined our lives!" she screamed._

_Theresa's face began to soften a bit at her daughter's distress, and she took in a deep breath, letting it out as she spoke. "It's for-"_

_"Go to hell! I wish you were fucking dead!" Alex shouted, before disappearing up the stairs, and out of her family's life._

_.x.x._

"Alex? Alex?" Just asked, shaking her shoulders.

Alex shook her head, casting a quick glance at Katie's room, remembering why she'd given everything up.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Justin asked, concern evident in his shaky words.

"I'm fine, Justin, but..." she tried saying, as sobs racked her body. "I... we can't do this... not anymore."

"But, Alex..." Justin pleaded, "... we _can_. We can-"

"No, Justin." she replied softly, pushing him slowly away with both hands. "We can't."

Justin could feel his heart breaking. He'd given up college because she wanted him to stay at home, he'd lost his magic to Max by default when he didn't bother to show up for the wizard competition, he'd spent five years looking for her... and now that he had found her, she was pushing him away. "Why, Alex?"

"Because... we just can't." she said, sadness thick in her words, casting a quick look to Katie's door again. "What if mom makes good on her threat to call the wizard police? Justin, I can't end up in some cell... I just can't."

"Alex?" he begged. "Since when do you care about breaking the rules?" He could feel his frustration building. Did she not want this... want _them_... as bad as he did? "Please, Alex, we can make this work."

"No, Justin. I'm sorry... but things change... people change..." she paused to take a deep breath, "...I think you should leave." Her voice was so low, so defeated, she couldn't meet his eyes with hers for fear that they would show him how much they were actually begging him to stay.

"Alex?" he whispered through his tears.

She shook her head firmly, still focused on the ground in front of her with closed eyes, "Please, Justin."

She didn't notice the devistation on his face... she didn't notice the pain and sorrow in his eyes... she didn't notice him back away... she didn't notice him turn his back to her... and she didn't notice him walking dejectedly away. Only when he called her name, sounding more distant than she remembered, did she look up.

Lightning flashed in the distance, providing a haunting backdrop against his silhouette, and he looked, out of the corner of his eye, over his shoulder at her. His voice was low, his tone was even, but hollow. "If I leave, Alex, I won't come back... I can't... I can't keep loving someone who won't love me back... I... I have to try to move on." He heard her sniffle behind him, and if not for the rain, he could have heard her tears falling to the floor.

"Tell me you don't love me anymore, Alex, and I'll leave."

Both of her hands were pressed to her face, the salty fluid flowing freely over them, and as she whimpered out, "It's for the best...", it was her own heart that shattered.

She heard her front door click softly closed and a few seconds later, she heard the door of the cab he'd come to her in slam shut.

_Oh my God! What have I done. We can make this work. We can! I've stayed hidden for this long... It can't end like this. I can't let him leave without knowing that I still love him... I can't let him leave without telling him that Katie is his child... I can't... I WON'T!_

She violently shook her head and sprinted for the door, flinging it open so hard it dented the drywall. Through the rain she could see the cab start driving away, slowly picking up speed. "JUSTIN, WAIT!" She screamed at him, but the rain was falling too hard... he didn't hear her.

She ran as fast as she could, water slashing away from her bare feet with every step she took, waiving her arms back and forth over her head, shouting as loudly as she could. "JUSTIN, PLEASE WAIT!"... but the rain, falling thick in the darkness, was too dense... the driver didn't see her in his mirror.

She chased the cab as fast and as far as she could before exhaustion took her and she collapsed onto the vacant street. She doubled over, gasping for air, weeping into her palms, tears mixing with the pounding rain, before falling to the ground.

She screamed to the heavens, her yell was loud and piercing, her body was shaking, her soul was shattered...

And if anyone had asked her what the most heartbreaking sight on earth was, never, in a million years, would she think that it would be the fading tail lights of a cab, carrying the love her life away into the crushing blackness of a rain drenched night... and out of her life.

_Not like this. Please... Don't let me lose him again... Not like this..._

_._

_._

A/N: so now you know justin's the father, not that i tried to hide it all that hard. i did it mainly for alex, and if you think about how difficult all of this was for her, it makes sense.

I thought about ending it here but I got several people asking me not to so... chapter 6, alex makes her decision, is upcoming... update: its up now.

as always, thanks for the reviews and kind words. i appreciate it, really!


	6. Chapter 6

Never Too Late

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A/N: Okay, so I just checked my email today and holy crap! I had no idea that many of you were that into this thing. So congrats... you've officially guilted me into finishing. I got several PM's too and I feel the need to share this one: "Oh, come on! If you don't finish this story then that officially makes you a 3-gallon douche! Please, don't leave me hangin' like that!" - for some reason I found this really hilarious - don't know what that says about me...

Well, in order to stave off the guilt and avoid being a '3-gallon douche' here's the next chapter.

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Chapter 6... Here we go...

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It's been a month since Alex was left heartbroken in the street surrounded by the night and the rain and she still hasn't fully recovered from the sight of Justin leaving in the back of that yellow cab.

It takes a few days, but finally, the tears stop. It takes a few more days, but finally, she's able pull herself together and take her life off of auto-pilot.

Poor Katie was forced to watch from the window as her mother unraveled in the drenching rain... she was forced to be her mother's rock in the sea of devastation... she was forced to help Alex pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

It was a huge burden for a small child to bear, for anyone to bear, it was an unreasonable request... unfair... but Katie didn't see it this way. She loved her mother and that's all she cared about... all she needed to know. She did the best she could, which usually meant holding her mother while she cried, telling her it would be okay when she would fret, and talking to her, when her mother was able.

It's been a month and things were finally getting back to normal.

Alex woke up the following morning, having dreamt of Justin the entire night, like every night since _then_, and found in herself a growing determination. She knew she didn't want to live this way anymore... in fear of her mother, in longing for Justin... but that didn't mean she wasn't worried.

Once again she needed a friend to talk to.

...

Alex and Katie made the long trip back to Harper and Zeke's apartment with Katie doing her best to keep her mother's mind off of things. She rambled on about whatever popped into her young mind and smiled to herself when her mother would chuckle at her randomness. If she only knew that this particular trait came from her yet unknown uncle Max.

Finally arriving, Harper greeted them warmly and invited them inside. It had only been a month since she'd last seen Alex, and while she was excited to see her best friend and 'niece' again, she was worried. She didn't expect them to be back so soon... especially with the almost seven hour drive each way.

After a brief round of small talk and some lunch, Alex and Harper sat on the couch and watched Katie and Tyler playing. They sat next to each other on the couch across from their parents, talking amongst themselves until Katie made a confused face and looked at Alex.

"Mommy, what's a alien?" Katie asked.

Alex rolled her eyes and shot a 'what-the-hell' glare at Harper. She watched as her friend shrugged and said, "Zeke likes to tell him bedtime stories sometimes."

Alex grunted and rolled her eyes again. "I figured he'd have grown out of that by now." she whispered to Harper.

"Mommy?" Katie said, expecting an answer.

"I'll tell you all about aliens later, okay?" _Yeah, like that'll happen._

Katie grunted slightly but accepted her mother's answer, turning her attention back to Tyler.

Their children were carrying on as only two young kids could until Harper asked Tyler to show Katie the new robot Zeke had bought him last week. Tyler jumped off of the couch excitedly and took a giggling Katie by the hand, leading her to his room.

Once their children were safely out of ear shot this time, Harper looked at Alex, her curioity and concern of the past several minutes finally getting the best of her. "What happened?"

Alex stilled and her heartbeat quickened. She knew she needed to talk this out with Harper, after all, that's why she came back. "He- He found me, Harper." she stuttered. Harper didn't speak for a moment, absorbing this new information. "How?"

Alex shrugged and shook her head, "Remember those visions I was telling you about last time?" Harper nodded. "He said that they _pulled_ him to me..." Alex shifted in her seat and crossed her arms. "That's got to mean something, right?" she asked uncertainly.

Harper was stunned. She knew that Alex didn't have her magic anymore- she'd forfeited the competition by not showing up the same as Justin did- but it was like magic was still at work somehow.

"I don't know, Alex. I really don't." Harper's anxiety was quickly increasing and she hoped that Alex would stick to the decision that she'd made last time she was there... the decision to let him go. "You're not thinking about trying to find him again are you?" Harper blurted out, worry seeping through her cautious tone.

"I think I should, Harper. I just wish..." Alex began, unsure of what she needed... a push in the right direction... a clear sign of what to do... someone to make this decision for her. She wasn't sure.

Harper nodded in understanding and sighed heavily. She had always accepted Alex and Justin for what they were, and never judged them but she was worried that Alex's usual impulsive nature would get her into trouble. She did, however, hate seeing her best friend so torn, so she would at least try to ease Alex's mind. "Wait here." she said, getting up from the couch and walking across the living room and into her bedroom.

A minute or so later, she re-emerged from her room carrying a small black container, about the size of a shoe box, and sat back down beside Alex, who was looking at her friend with confusion strewn across her face.

"What's in the box?" Alex asked, trying to sound casual, as her palms became sweaty.

Harper sighed again, not wanting to give Alex what she thought about giving her last time she visited, but, against her better judgement, placed the box in Alex's lap, taking off the lid. "They're letters... from Justin." Harper watched as Alex narrowed her eyes and look at the box of sealed envelopes in her lap.

"What? Why would-"

"They're not to me, Alex." Harper interrupted, knowing what her friend was about to ask. "They're to you. He wrote you a letter every week... every week for five years. He hoped that when you read them, you'd stay." Harper said, a growing guilt evident in her voice. "But they stopped coming about a month ago..." she finished sadly, looking down at her fidgeting fingers.

"Why didn't you give these to me last time, Harper?" snapped Alex. "I might not have... We could've... Ugh!" she huffed in frustration. "Why did you keep these from me?" she spat out in an effort to hold back the moisture forming in her eyes.

"Because, Alex," Harper spoke calmly, "you had already decided the right thing to do. You needed to protect your daughter." Alex sat staring at Harper, fury burning in her eyes. She was tired of people telling her what was best for her, she was tired of letting others decide her fate... she was tired of being alone.

Slowy, the fire died down as she considered Harper's words, but the embers remained as she turned her attention to the letters in her lap. Two hundred and sixty letters, all postmarked from different cities all over the country, a testament to his thoroughness and the desperation of his search.

She could hear Harper still talking as she picked up the first letter, vaguely registering the 'you did the right thing' and 'think about what could happen' that spilled from Harper's mouth as she tuned her out and read.

_Dear Alex,_

_I don't know why you left, but I'd bet it has something to do with our mom. I know you're scared even if you didn't admit it. I could see it in your eyes after mom and dad talked to us six months ago. _

_Alex, I love you, and you have to know that I'd go to the ends of the earth to find you. No matter what, I won't give up. We can be together, Alex, we can. We can find some quiet place and live the rest of our lives together, away from anyone who would try to keep us apart._

_I'm giving this letter, and every other one I write you, to Harper in the hope that you'll eventually come to her. When you read this, Alex, please wait for me. I'll call Harper every Sunday to see if you've come back and, if you have, I'll be there as soon as I can._

_Please, Alex. Please wait. Please give us a chance and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, this I promise you. In the mean time, just know two things. 1) I'll always love you and 2) I'll never stop searching for you._

_With all my love, _

_Justin_

Alex wiped the tears from her eyes, refolded the letter, putting it back into the envelope, before reaching for another. She had gone through several and began to notice things. In every one she read, he'd always pledged his undying love and renewed his vow to find her, but after two years, he said that he had stopped calling... his disappointment at hearing Harper say 'No' was becoming to much to endure and he didn't want to lose hope.

He'd talk about where he was and give a brief discription of the town he was in and where he might be heading next before telling her that he'd always love her. Occasionally, he would make an extended stop in some of the larger cities along the way, finding work where he could to replinish his money supply before continuing on and telling her he loved her again.

She was steadly growing anxious over the thoughts bouncing through her mind. She thought about Katie, and her need for a father. She thought about herself, and her need for Justin. But she also thought about her mother, and her threats to strip her of everything she held dear.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, still ignoring Harper and placed the lid back onto the container. Alex clutched the box to her chest, gazing down at it lovingly, and stood up.

Harper stopped talking and stood up as well with a bewildered expression on her face. She wasn't sure what Alex was doing, but she was pretty sure that Alex hadn't heard a word she had said. Harper opened her mouth to speak but Alex spoke first.

"Why can't I have both, Harper? Why can't I have Katie _and_ Justin? Why can't I be happy _and_ safe?" Alex looked at her best friend for a moment and spoke softly, "Why does it have to be one or the other?"

"Alex, I understand how hard this is for you but just think for a minute, okay? Remember story I told you a month ago... remember the dog with two bones, Alex." Harper pleaded. "Remember what could happen."

Alex looked down at the box again and took another deep breath, again, letting it out slowly before speaking, "I _have_ thought about the dog, Harper, I have, and I've made my decision." Alex stated firmly.

"W-Well, w-what did you decide?" Harper stuttered uncertainly, her eyes widening nervously.

Alex turned back to her friend as a wry smile graced her lips and her eyes narrowed.

"Fuck that stupid dog."

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A/N: Well, there ya' go. Chapter 7 will be up eventually... the hunt begins...

This turned out shorter than I'd have liked but I'm trying to get back into the story. Admittedly, this chapter was a bit self-serving in that I just wanted to use that last line. It made me grin like a 3-gallon douche.

As always, thanks to those of you who have read/reviewed/alerted this thing. I appreciate it.


	7. Chapter 7

Never Too Late

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Chapter 7... Here we go...

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Alex sighs from behind the wheel of her father's semi-stolen car on another stretch of sparse, barren road. There's nothing in front of her and nothing in her rear view but the open highway and she's never felt so alone.

She had to leave her daughter behind with Harper, who was more than willing to keep her, while Alex began her search. To her surprise, Katie didn't mind either. And while she was a little disappointed not to be able to come with her mother, she was getting along really well with her new 'aunt' and 'uncle' and was growing fond of Tyler, even if she found his fidgety nature a bit odd.

Alex called to check up on Katie each and every night from the road, and vowed that she would visit as often as she could... She's been searching for two months now, and her hopes were still high.

The only thing she had to go on were the letters Justin had written. She'd use the postmarks on the envelope to plot a course to her next destination and would spend a day or two in each of the towns the letters were mailed from asking, almost begging, for information.

She would show people a picture of him, the only picture she couldn't bring herself to throw away. I was one of just the two of them, her cheek pressed to his chest, locked in each other's embrace, with contented smiles on their faces. They were in front of the Eiffel Tower on some anniversary Alex was sure Justin had made up, but she didn't care... He made her feel special, and that was all she cared about.

Almost everywhere she went, someone would recognize him. He'd had the same loving and desparate look in his eyes as she currently did and people tended to remember an expression like that.

She started from the last letter he'd written her, thinking that the trail would be freshest and worked her way in reverse, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd returned to a place he'd been before. As she plotted the locations on her map, she began to notice a pattern. The further back through the letters she went, the locations he'd mailed them from seemed to move further away from Warren in a spiral pattern.

She chuckled to herself at this realization. "Of course he used a spiral search pattern. He always had a thing for efficiency... nerd." she mumbled to herself. Then she thought about the thirty minute lecture he'd given her about it and realized that he's been doing that particular pattern in reverse. "Oh, right. The visions." she said, shaking her head, suddenly wondering why she'd bothered to remember something so 'educational.'

It's now been four months since she began her search and her hope was beginning to fade. The familiar search pattern had ended and it seemed like he was looking in random places scattered across the country. "Alaska?" she asked the letter in her hand. "Seriously, Justin?" She didn't bother following that lead... she knew he hated the cold and would never end up there...

She made a trip back to New York to see her daughter and get a 'hope-refill' before continuing on to the random cities across the nation. Katie and Alex talked for several hours when she first arrived, catching her daughter up on the places she'd been, where she was going next and when she hoped she would be coming back.

Katie prattled on about the new pre-school Harper had enrolled her in, the new friends she was making, and how well her and Tyler were getting along. Alex was unexpectedly amused when she found out that Katie's new favorite hobby was hiding Tyler's toys until the point of a full-scale freakout... then she would give them back, much to the relief of Tyler. They'd hug, she'd say 'sorry', and steal another one on her way out of his room, starting the cycle all over again.

Alex stayed with Harper for a couple of days. She told her friend the same things she'd been telling Katie about her search and Harper would listen attentively, asking the occasional question when the situation warranted.

Much to Alex's surprise, Harper was no longer trying to talk her out of finding Justin... in fact, she was encouraging it. Even though Harper was still worried about the outcomes of such an endeavor, Harper knew that Justin made Alex the happiest and she couldn't deny her best friend that, and felt guilty for having tried before.

The next morning, Alex headed back out on the road. She'd gotten her 'hope tanks' replinished thanks to her daughter's relentless pushing and her best friends gentle encouragement. After a long goodbye and a reminder that Tyler's birthday was next month, which Alex promised to return for, she hugged her daughter goodbye a final time and headed out.

She sorted through the letters picking out cities that she thought Justin would most likely land. Even though she had a hard time 'thinking like a dork', she was able to pick out several places where there was an advanced technical school or research center to start her search.

Her first stop in these new places were the schools he might be attending, or the research centers he may have gotten a low level job at. She'd flash everyone she came across the picture of them and disappointment would grow with every 'no, sorry' she received.

When these eventually turned up dry, she tried the internet one more time, even though her first search had proved pointless. Even though Justin may have been an Alex described 'tech-geek', he didn't have an online profile to speak of anymore, ever since his Wiz-Face fiasco, he didn't have an email account, or conduct any business through the web... he was too 'worried about security and privacy.'

She tried calling all of his friends again, like she did when she first started, but they still hadn't heard anything new. She could feel the guilt growing within her as his old friends spoke. They wondered where he had disappeared to, they wondered why he had left, and they hoped he was okay.

After she reassured them that he was fine, even though she didn't know herself, she'd hang up the phone and trudge ahead, sadness brewing with every push of the 'end' button.

After a month of driving down long, nearly empty, roads and crying herself to sleep in lonely hotel rooms, she made her way, as promised, back to Harper's, hope at an all time low.

She couldn't even imagine what Justin had gone through, what he had felt after five years of searching, but she was beginning to understand after just five months...

Tyler's birthday was a small affair, only around ten people, and while Alex did her best to be social, those who knew her best could see the despair hidden just beneath the surface. They recognized the forced smiles and disinterest in the conversations she was having and Harper was doing her best to make Alex feel better.

The party had lasted only a couple of hours and Alex finally managed a genuine smile when she saw the neatly wrapped gift that Katie had given Tyler. He hurriedly tore it open and gasped when he saw the new action figure he'd been talking about all week. The expression on his young face was priceless. Alex finally laughed when, as soon as Tyler turned around, Katie snatched up the toy and hid it under the couch... and again, priceless.

Alex was finally starting to feel good again, surrounded by her daughter and friends, and the thought briefly crossed her mind to give up her search and go back to her home in Warren, but her daughter had other ideas.

"Mommy, I can see your upset but..." Katie said, climbing up onto her mother's lap. "...please don't stop looking for daddy." Her daughter's pleading was all the motivation she needed. She remembered that she wasn't just doing this for herself, she was doing it for _them_... for her family, her _new_ family.

"I won't, honey." Alex sighed, smiling at her daughter. "Promise?" Katie asked hopefully. "I promise. I won't give up."

That was all it took for her hope and faith to be renewed for a second time and after another round of goodbyes, Alex began her search once again.

She was quickly running out of places to look. She was trying to stick to the places she knew he'd likely be, but the numbers were dwindling quickly. Alex had been racking up lots of miles on her dad's old car and, so far, she'd been fortunate that the spell she'd placed on it years ago had been holding up... air travel was out, she couldn't afford the tickets to the further destinations... and that old car was all she had, but it also limited the places she'd be able to reach.

Another five month passed and she'd turned up nothing. No sign, no trace, no hints to his whereabouts was found, and by then, desperation had firmly set in... she knew she had only one option left.

She knew what she had to do if she wanted to find him. She knew that there was only three people left who might know where he is...

She dreaded the idea, but she made a promise to her daughter to never give up, and she was determined to keep it.

She would have to go back to the place where it all started... she would have to go back to to the place where it all might end... she had to go back to Waverly Place... she had to go back home...

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A/N: kind of a filler, but mostly a set up to Chapter 8... alex goes home.


	8. Chapter 8

Never Too Late

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as always, thanks to everyone who's been reading/reviewing/alerting this thing. i appreciate it.

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Chapter 8... Here we go...

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Theresa Russo sat in Alex's old room looking through the photo albums of her broken family like she'd done so many times before, wishing that she had handled things differently. She wasn't the same person since her family fell apart. How could she be? She blamed herself...

She was just trying to be a good mother and, at the time, she felt she was doing the right thing, but now, looking back, she wished she had another chance to do things different... to make things right... Her children's happiness was what she cared about the most, and as she thought about the worst week of her life, her tears splashed down on the plastic covered photos.

.x.x.

_Theresa flinched at Alex's words... "I wish you were fucking dead!"... as she watched her only daughter storm upstairs angrier than she'd ever seen her. Theresa knew she did the right thing- siblings shouldn't be together that way- and while she knew they would be upset for a while, she hoped that, they too, would see the error of their ways._

_She didn't even hear Alex leave that night even though she couldn't sleep a wink... she just knew that everything would get better eventually. It wasn't until the next morning that she knew it wouldn't be._

_When Justin came down the stairs screaming at her, clutching a note in his hand, begging, pleading, asking her "why"... she began to understand... They loved each other, truly loved each other, and one couldn't be happy without the other... She'd never heard her son speak to her, to anyone, this way, and as her eyes bled out their salty contents at his hate filled words, she picked up the letter he'd thrown in her face._

_Justin,_

_I love you, but I have to leave... you know why. I won't be coming back... I can't... I'm sorry._

_Alex_

.x.x.

Theresa ran her hand gently over the short note Alex left, remembering the pained and furious look on her son's face as he, too, stormed through the front door and out of her life.

...

Jerry and Max were down in the sub shop cleaning up a bit after the lunchtime rush. Jerry was in the small kitchen tidying up his station and was busy wiping off his 'fixin' sponge for when he got an order wrong, when he heard the bell on the door ding.

Max, who currently had his hands full of dirty dishes, looked up at the dark haired young woman and the small child by her side and sighed with relief. "Hey, Alex," Max said, oblivious as always. "Can you grab those plates for me?" he told her as he carried his tub towards the kitchen.

Alex gave him a confused look for a moment, tilting her head, before turning to her daughter. "Give him a minute." she said, holding out three fingers and counting backwards... Three... Two... One... "There it is."

Max froze, immediately dropping the small tub he had in his hands, sending dirty dishes sprawling across the floor. He whirled around, his eyes as wide as saucers, "Alex! Oh my God! Alex!" he shouted excitedly. He sprinted at his sister, throwing his arms around her and squeezing tight, nearly causing them to tumble to the floor.

"Hey, Maxie!" Alex greeted, laughing as her younger brother lifted her off of her feet. "How've you been?" she asked as he set her back down.

"Me? Well, I've been- Nevermind! What about you!"

"Max!" their father interrupted, looking at the mess on the floor. "What is going-" Jerry stopped when he saw his daughter standing there, looking nervously back at him. He placed his hands to his face, covering his mouth and nose, nearly in shock at the sight of his little girl. "Alex?" he called weakly, his voice catching in his throat, "is that really..."

Alex nodded. "Hi, daddy." she said timidly.

Jerry ran to his daughter and held her tight, tears, unapologetically streaming down his face. He couldn't believe she was back, he couldn't believe she there, in his arms, finally returned to his life. "I've missed you so much, Alex." her father whimpered through his tears. "So much."

"I missed you to, dad." Alex whispered quietly. They held each other for a few moments, with Alex's tension easing at his familiar embrace until her little brother spoke up.

"Ah-hem!" Max said, clearing his throat loudly. "What about me?"

Alex giggled at the big dopey smile on her little brother's face. "Yes, Max, even you." Max, now at twenty one, was still pretty much the same, Alex determined. He had the same hair he had when she left although he had grown in height several inches in five years, standing about as tall as their dad now.

"Come here, Maxie" Alex said, holding out one arm to hug him and her father at the same time. Max joined in but couldn't help himself. "I don't remember you being this much of a hugger." he teased. This, of course, earned him a smack to the back of his head from Alex.

They all laughed as Max rubbed his head and chucked out an "Ow!" They all smiled back and forth at each other for a while, none of them knowing what to say, but happy to be together again, at least.

Katie, who had watched this whole event unfold, was getting impatient, and took it upon her self to break the silence by copying Max with a loud throat clear.

They all looked down at the little girl as Alex spoke proudly. "Dad, Max... this is Katie... my daughter."

Katie waved her little hand and smiled brightly at them as she said an excited "Hi!" to the two, still unknown, men. She wasn't sure why but her usual shyness didn't seem to exist around these two so she continued smiling even as their eyes grew wide and their mouths dropped open.

...

Alex and her father sat around one of the tables in their restaurant, which by now had emptied and would stay that way since Jerry flipped the sign on the door to 'closed'.

Alex calmed Jerry down, who by now, was about to have a panic attack and hyperventilate. He wasn't angry, he was just shocked and excited to have Alex back and a new granddaughter on top of that. Max, on the other hand, didn't seem so surprised and was currently with Katie, raiding the freezer for ice cream.

Alex and Jerry both shot confused looks toward the freezer at the occasional banging noises, grunts from Max, and giggles from Katie. Eventually, the two made their way back, four bowls in hand, with Max being sure to grab his father's ladle sized 'eatin' spoon'.

Max and Katie sat down at the table next to their respective parents at began to eat their frozen treat, listening as Alex spoke. They could tell she was a bit nervous still, but had otherwise relaxed. Alex went on and on about Katie like any proud parent would and she noticed as Jerry's own pride in his daughter was clearly visible on his face.

Finally, Alex turned to Katie and formally introduced the two older men to her as 'grandpa' and 'your Uncle Max'. Katie squeeled in excitement, bounding off of her chair and ran around the table, hopping up into Jerry's lap. "Grandpa!" she said happily.

Jerry smiled down at the little girl. "Yes, honey? What is it?"

"Nothing." Katie replied, still smiling. "I just never got to say that before!"

Alex's stomach began to twist on itself as guilt gripped her. She didn't say anything, but her father noticed the pained look cascading across her features and smiled knowingly at her.

"And now you can say it as much as you want!" Jerry said, turning his attention back to his granddaughter.

"Yea!" she squealed. "Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa!" Katie sang, rocking her head from side to side. "Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa!"

All three of the adults laughed at the little brunette's sheer joy. "Uh... feelin' kinda left out over here." Max said, holding his arms out to his niece. Katie climbed down and jumped up into Max's awaiting arms, repeating the same sweet chant for her uncle Max, causing her family to laugh again.

Alex continued talking about what she'd been doing since she'd been gone, careful to leave out key details in case she needed to leave in a hurry, but for some reason, a question was gnawing at the back of her mind.

"So..." she started uncertainly, "... how long did you guys know about me and Justin." She wasn't worried about Katie hearing his name anymore... she finally gave in and told her the truth on the drive down from Harper's... just not the _whole_ truth.

"Since I was twelve." Max blurted out, having engaged Katie in an enthralling game of rock-paper-scissors.

Alex looked at him for a moment then blinked a few times. "But we were... only since you were fourteen."

"Are you sure?" Max said, looking up at her, seeing the perplexed expression on her face. She nodded. He briefly put on his 'thinkin' face' then shrugged.

Alex shook her head, dislodging the confusion Max seemed to leave in his wake. She smiled when she thought about how Max out, officially found out. He just shrugged and replied with a casual, "I thought you guys were already together.", before turning his attention back to his Nintendo DS. He never cared about right and wrong, just fun and boring. He just knew that his siblings made each other happy in a way he would never fully understand and that was okay with him.

"Dad? And you?" Alex asked cautiously.

Jerry shifted in his seat a little nervously, which made Alex's anxiety grow. "Only about a year before you left."

Alex blinked a few more times at him. "Wait. So you knew before-"

"Hey," Jerry interrupted, "can Max take Katie out for a bit?" Alex could read his expression and knew he had something to tell her. "Sure, dad."

"Max, how about you take Katie to the bakery up the street and pick us up a cake." He reached into his pocket and reluctantly handed Max a twenty. "And bring me back 'the usual'."

Max picked Katie up, after a quick "No problem." and headed out. Alex looked quizically at her father for a second. "A cake? For what? And you have a 'usual' at the bakery?"

Jerry shrugged, "Nothing and no, I don't have a usual. But by the time Max figures that out, I'll have bought us about twenty minutes." Alex couldn't help but snicker, "Oh, Max..."

"Alex, I need to know something..." he said nervously. "...is Katie... Justin's?"

Alex swallowed audibly. "Y-yes, she is."

Jerry offered her a weak smile before nodding his head. "Okay, I was just making sure. She's beautiful, Alex."

"Thanks, dad." she said softly.

Alex was about to speak again, about to see what her father intended to do with this knowledge but he beat her to it.

Her father took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alex, believe it or not, I know exactly what you're going through... what you _went_ through."

"What are you talking about? What do-"

Jerry held up his hand to silence her. "I _was_ upset when I found out about you and Justin. I won't deny that. But I accepted you two together because..." his voice trialed off for a moment as he collected his thoughts. "Because the same thing happened to me and your aunt Meagan."

Alex was shocked to say the least. She was stunned at her father's admission and she was left speachless for the first time in a long time.

Jerry chucked nervously, "I guess history is repeating itself, huh?"

Alex finally regained control of her mind and asked him, "What happened?"

Jerry swallowed and licked his lips to offset his mouth, which had suddenly gone dry. "You know that I gave my powers to Kelbo... but, uhm, it wasn't for the reasons I told you..." Her father shifted in his seat again. "I gave them up for her." He smiled, thinking back, "We fell in love when we were about the age you two did and the plan was to run away and be together forever."

His smile quickly faded as he coninued. "But my father found out, and you know your grandfather, he wouldn't have any part of it." Jerry lowered his eyes, from his daughter's curious expression. "I didn't find out until years later that she was pregnant..."

"Wait, so this means that-" Alex tried to get in.

Jerry shook his head, "No, she had a miscarriage."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Anyway, she was scared of what our father would do to our unborn child, so she left. Just like that. And I didn't see her again for years. When she _did_ turn up again, I'd already married your mother." He looked up quickly at his daughter. "I'm glad I did, don't get me wrong. I love Theresa, and having you three made me happier than I've ever been, but Meagan couldn't forgive me." He finished sadly.

"So you and her cooked up the whole story about you giving up your powers to Kelbo as the reason you two don't talk anymore?" Alex asked, trying to understand.

Jerry didn't say anything, he just looked back down at his fidgeting hands and nodded.

"Did you try to find her before... you know... you met mom?"

"Yeah. I looked for a couple of years, but..." he chuckled, "...I never thought to look in Texas." Jerry looked pleadingly into his daughter's eyes. "Alex, you can't tell anyone, okay? I just wanted you to know that I understand."

"Don't worry, daddy. I won't." Alex said sweetly, relieved that at least one parent understood. "I guess it runs in the family..."

Jerry groaned, "Don't say it like that."

Alex giggled. "What? It was funny."

Her father grunted, rolled his eyes, and changed the subject. "So... I'm guessing you came here for Justin... because of... you know?"

"Yeah. I need to see him again." Alex answered, wondering why he phrased it that way. "But I'm glad to be home too."

"Me too honey, me too." Jerry said, smiling genuinely at his baby girl.

Around that time, Max came bounding through the door with a cake in his hands that said "Happy Birthday, Lucille" and Katie followed close behind with a bag full of bagles. Jerry stared at them for a minute before waving his finger at them, "What's all this?"

"Duh, dad. It's the cake you wanted me to get and your 'usual'." Max said, setting the cake down. "Although I have no idea who Lucille is... and I never knew you liked bagles."

Alex chucked at her little brother, shaking her head. _At least some things never change_. Finally the time had come to deal with what needed to be dealt with.

"Hey, dad?" Alex asked, suddenly more nervous than she'd ever been. "Is mom upstairs?"

Jerry nodded, knowing that his wife had been the reason their eldest children had left. But he knew how much she had missed them and how much she wanted to make amends. Maybe this would be the perfect opportunity.

"Grandma!" Katie questioned excitedly before bounding up the stairs to the Russo family loft when her mother nodded.

Alex took a deep breath and sighed heavily, following her daughter upstairs.

_Here goes nothing..._

.

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A/N: Chapter 9 up soon... showdown with mom... uh oh!

i thought about putting chapter 9 with this one and just doing one 'home' chapter, but it would've been way to f'ing long. and i didn't decide on jerry and meagan until i actually got to that part... ah, the pitfalls of not doing an outline. *shrugs* oh, well. hope you liked it anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

Never Too Late

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A/N: sorry this wasn't updated in my usual 2-3 day timeframe... i've been sort of mentally 'checked out' and forgot about this thing until somebody alerted it, sending me a reminder... but i've got a good reason beyond 'chronic laziness' this time.

also, i didn't like the 'jerry and meagan' thing from ch. 8... the time line didn't really fit so instead of having the characters fix it: jerry lied... theresa hates magic and didn't bother to ask... there *dusts hand together* all better.

anyway, thanks, as always, to everyone who reviewed/alerted/read this thing and stuck around.

.

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Chapter 9... Here we go...

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Alex nervously made her way up the stairs but suddenly stopped, only climbing a little over half way. She hasn't spoken anything but words of hate to her mother in five years and she didn't even know where to begin. She couldn't bring herself to move forward, but a gut instinct was telling her that she couldn't go back... not now. Not when she was so close.

Max noticed his sister's hesitation and bounded up the stairs after her. "Don't worry, sis," he said with a smile, taking her hand in reassurance, "I've got _your_ back this time... for the times you and Justin had mine."

"Thank you, Max." Alex said quietly, squeezing his hand in return. She took a deep breath after several moments focusing on what she had to do, "I think I'm ready." Max just nodded in reply and accompanied her to the loft.

...

Theresa sat on the couch listening intently as the little girl, who introduced herself as 'Katie', spoke. Her eyes has gone wide and her mouth was hanging open when she realized that the small child in front of her was Alex's. She thought that this tiny bundle of energy and joy was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen...

She had no idea that Alex had a child and when Katie told her how old she was, Theresa cringed.

She realized that Alex would have had to have been with-child when she had left and Theresa was letting her guilt slowly tear her apart. She had gotten over any lingering feelings of disgust she had been harboring at the thought of her oldest children being together... her disappointment in herself was far too overpowering... and she regretted her actions of that day, she still does.

While listening to her granddaughter a realization hit her. _If Katie is here, she didn't come by herself... that must mean that Alex is home!_ Theresa could feel her heart begin to flutter and her body begin to tremble with excitement. She may just get her second chance to fix her family after all.

Suddenly Katie stopped talking, having caught motion out of the corner of her eye, and looked over at her mother. "Mommy!" she shouted excitedly.

Theresa quickly stood up and turned only to be met by a frigid glare of her daughter. "Alex?" she asked, her voice full of happiness and hope.

Alex had watched her mother and her daughter sitting on the couch and, while it hadn't been her intention, she couldn't stop the anger from building. She couldn't help the memories that came flooding back reminding her of the damage her mother had done, the pain she had caused. And in her mind, this _thing_ talking with Katie was no longer her mother. "Hello, _Theresa_." Alex replied coldly.

"Alex, honey," Theresa said, her eyes brimming with moisture, walking toward her daughter, "I'm sorry for-" she began, reaching her outstreched arms to embrace her child.

"Don't!" Alex snapped, taking a step back. "Don't touch me." She couldn't bring herself to hug her mother, she could barely stand the sight of her.

"Alex, please..." Theresa begged. "I... I'm-" she pleaded as her hope and excitement were being crushed.

"Enough." Alex interrupted. "Max, take Katie upstairs." she hissed, her fiery eyes fixed on Theresa.

Max looked at his sister and saw the fury in her gaze and while he had every intention of staying by her side through what was about to come, he knew better than to risk pissing her off even further. He nodded, "Okay... C'mon, Katie."

Max and his niece made their way upstairs to his room and flopped onto his bed. He could hear the screaming downstairs even through his closed door and didn't want it to upset Katie so he did his best to entertain her. He wasn't sure how much Katie knew about magic, so that was out... He still liked video games so he figured he'd give that a try. "Hey, Katie, do you want to-"

"Uncle Max," Katie interrupted, "do you know my daddy?" Max stared at her for a moment, thinking, before shaking his head at the sudden question. "No, I don't think I do... What's his name?"

"Mommy said his name is Justin." Katie stated firmly.

"Oh, yeah!" her uncle exclaimed, "He's me and your mom's bro...ther... Oh..." Max stopped talking and his eyes darted about his room as the realization washed over him. He knew his siblings had been intimate but he never dreamed that-

"Uncle Max?" Katie asked, squinting her eyes at him, trying to read what he was thinking. "What is it?"

"Huh?... Oh, it's uh... nothing. It's nothing." Max shifted on his bed, slightly unsettled at the four year old's stare, before getting up and dropping to the floor dig under his bed. "Where is it?" He muttered to himself flinging out random bits of junk as he dug, causing Katie to giggle at the mess he was making amongst the much larger mess that was his room.

"Ah ha! Found it!" Max pulled out a small tub, of what Katie determined to be more of the random junk he had been flinging out before, and set it on the floor in front of her as a distraction. "Check this out!"

"What is _that_?" Katie asked, pointing her finger at it and sliding back on his bed, just in case something was alive in there...

"It's stuff I've been collecting since-" Max flinched when he heard the volume of his sister's yelling from downstairs increase suddenly. "Um... Hey can you watch this stuff for me? I need to go check on your mom."

Katie frowned slightly before she spoke. "She's pretty mad, huh?" Max sat back down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, but I promise you that everything's going to be alright. Okay?" He asked with a smile. He watched as Katie looked away and nodded. He knew he was failing to keep her occupied and happy but he was inexperienced with children and wasn't sure how to make her feel better.

"Now, just make sure you watch that thing," he said, pointing to the container on the floor, "and make sure nothing crawls out." Katie's eyes widened before she crinkled her nose and looked at her uncle. "You mean something _is_ alive in there?"

Max shrugged. "No idea, but here." he told her, handing her the wiffleball bat he picked up off of the floor, "If something _does_ come out, just whack it a couple times with this."

...

Max made his way back downstairs and as he got closer, his sister's and mother's words finally became clearer. He paused halfway down the spiral staircase and could see his mother's heartbreak clearly written across her face and just watched them and listened.

"I'm so sorry." Theresa sobbed, her voice barely above a hushed whisper.

"For what! Ruining my life... _our_ lives. 'I'm sorry' just won't cut it." Alex growled at Theresa. "What exactly were you so afraid of? That we loved each other? Or was it just that you were afraid of what other people would think?... Afraid that you failed as a mother? What is it!" she screamed, years of rage and frustration finally set free.

"Alex, please..." Theresa choked out. "You and Katie-"

"What? What about her, _mother_? You think she's some kind of _freak_ because of who her parents are? And before you say anything else..." Alex seethed, on the brink of losing control. "Yes! _Justin_ is her father! So now what? Are you going to call the wizard cops on me and have my daughter taken away from me? Are you going to try to claim her as your own? Go ahead, Theresa, do it... She'll just be another one of _your_ children that hates you..."

Alex could see the hurt and sorrow strewn across her mother's face but she didn't care, not now, not after what she was forced to endure. She wanted to make Theresa suffer, wanted to make her feel the pain she had caused Alex so many years ago. "So, congratulations. You _did_ fail as a mother."

Alex turned on her heals and sprinted upstairs to her room, ignoring the sobs of her completely devistated mother, not even bothering to look back, not caring that she almost knocked her younger brother down in the process.

...

Jerry had finally came upstairs after about an hour and saw his wife sitting on a stool by the island in the kitchen, her elbows resting on the counter top, and her head laid into her hands. She was still weeping when he found her and although he cursed himself for not coming up sooner, a part of him knew she needed to hear what Alex had to say.

He approached her and rubbed her back, trying to be a soothing as possible. "She hates me, Jerry..." his wife whimpered softly. "She still hates me."

"She's angry, sweetheart. We knew she would be." Jerry reassured. "Just give her some time to cool off a bit."

Theresa looked up at her husband and wiped the tears from her eyes before embracing him tightly, needing the comfort he could provide. Jerry held his wife for a while and remained silent, waiting for her to calm. After a few moments, she finally settled and pulled herself back from him, taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly.

"I just hoped that we could start again, you know? But I guess I was deluding myself... I should have known that the only reason she would've come back would be for this..." Theresa said, sliding the large white envelope across the counter to Jerry. "I wish that-" she started to choke up again, unable to finish.

"I know, honey. I know." Jerry consoled. "Hey, why don't I go talk to her... Who knows, maybe she'll give you a chance once she calms down."

"I hope so, Jerry. I really do. I need to make this right."

...

Alex sat on her bed feeling guilty for what she'd said to her mother. She didn't mean to be so harsh but she'd always had a hard time reigning in her temper. She was about to go downstairs and try to make amends when there was a knock on the door. She heard her father on the other side, asking if he could come in, a request she granted.

"Alex, honey, just listen for a minute, okay?" her father said cautiously, trying to gauge her anger level. He watched as his daughter nodded before continuing. "I know you're mad at your mother, but I'm begging you, Alex, just listen to what she has to say... I think you'll be surprised."

"What do you mean, dad?"

"Well... um... I think it would be better if you heard it from her." Jerry said, hopeful that his only daughter would allow his wife a chance to make things right.

Alex took a deep, cleansing breath and nodded. "Okay." She knew that the key to finding Justin was with her family, and while her father may know, she realized that she wanted her mom back too. While sitting alone in her room, looking at the posters, paintings, and pink-fur wallpaper hanging from her walls, a sudden nostalgia hit her, and she realized how much she missed it there.

Jerry stepped back out into the hallway and Alex heard him mumbling something to her mother that she couldn't quite make out. Soon enough, Theresa entered but was looking down at the floor, defeated. She took the chair in front of the small desk in the room and slid it in front of Alex before sitting down. Awkward silence filled the already quiet room, a quiet so loud, it was near deafening. Moments passed until they spoke.

"I'm sorry." they said together before chuckling nervously. "Me too." they spoke at the same time again.

They laughed a real laugh this time and it felt good to both of them, like maybe things would be alright.

Theresa raised her hand to keep Alex from speaking so she could say what she needed to. "Mija," she began, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I treated you back then. I was angry and disappointed and I just wanted what was best for both of you." Theresa could feel the moisture brimming in her eyes and had to blink a few times to stave them off.

"I never meant to hurt you or him like I did. You two were always so close, even when you were little, but it just caught me off guard, was all. I over reacted and I've regretted it every day since you both left." She'd practiced this speech hundreds of times in case she was ever given the chance, but even with the rehearsal, her tears still fell.

"I love you both so much and I just wanted you to know that even though I may have never be _fully_ comfortable with you and Justin being together, I've accepted the fact that he made you happy and that you made him happy... you two belonged together." Theresa wiped her eyes and looked into her daughter's, noticing the moisture forming there as well. "I'm so sorry, Alex. And you were right... I _am_ a horrible mother for forcing you two away like I did. I should have thought about what would have made you two happy... and not me."

"I didn't mean it like that. I was just so... angry." Alex said, her voice laced with regret.

"It's okay, Alex. Really." Theresa said with a weak smile. "I deserved it. I understand now how wrong I was."

Alex blinked several times, refusing to let the tears fall, and smiled genuinely at her mother. "Thanks... mom." _Mom_. It felt so good for her to be able to say that word again. She'd spent so much time hating her, she'd forgotten how much a child, no matter what age, still needs their mother. "And I'm sorry, too." she said softly.

Theresa looked confused for a moment. "No, you don't have to apologize. This is my fau-" "For earlier." Alex interrupted. "I was kind of a bitch."

Alex giggled when her mother snorted, half in shock, half humorously, before standing up and holding out her arms again. "Can I... I mean, can we...?" Theresa asked with nervous hope. Alex smiled as a single tear drop fell and stood to embrace her mother. She'd nearly forgotten how much a simple hug from her mother could cure.

After a few moments they released themselves from each others arms and settled back into their seats. Theresa smiled at her daughter and let out a contented sigh. "I'm glad we did that, Alex... got it all out, and I'm glad you came home."

"Me too, mom." Alex said truthfully.

"I'm sort of relieved that we don't have to worry about any of that stuff anymore." Theresa said, still smiling.

Alex's smile faded as confusion set in. "What do you mean?"

Theresa was getting concerned and it showed. "About Justin. I thought you knew..." she said softly.

Alex was growing worried. What did her mother mean? What happened? "No, I don't know. I've been looking for him for a while now. Where is he?"

"He's here. In New York." Theresa closed her eyes and looked at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. "God, I thought you knew." she said before looking back at her daughter. "Alex, he's living with Chelsea now and..."

"What?" _No, no, no. I must have heard her wrong._ "You mean he's living _in_ Chelsea?" Alex asked nervously.

Theresa sighed heavily and shook her head. "No, Alex, he's met someone and..."

"What!" Alex shouted. _Is this what dad meant by history repeating itself? No it can't be. Is that why he worded that phrase so strangely? Is that why everyone's been talking about me and Justin in the past tense?... This can't be happening... this can't be happening._

"Alex, honey," Theresa said cautiously, reaching in her back pocket and pulling out the folded white envelope and handing it to her daughter, "I thought _this_ was why you came back."

Theresa watched as Alex unfolded the envelope and peered inside. "Mom, I- I don't understand. Is this...?" _Don't be this... Please, don't be this..._

Theresa offered Alex a weak smile and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mija. Justin's getting married."

Alex's stiffened as her eyes grew wide, silent tears now streaming down her cheeks, and her mouth dropped open. _Oh, God, NO!..._

_._

_._

Chapter 10... Alex & Justin...

A/N: ok, i know what your thinking and HOLY SHIT! *ducks* who throws a frying pan? seriously?

why leave it here you ask... simple: this is my revenge chapter for y'all guilting me into continuing. *laughs evily*

also, ZenNoMai told me how much he loves cliffhangers. Ha!

this chapter came out much angrier than i anticipated, which didn't really fit into a story like this, so i changed it a bit... thus the little Max and Katie part... hope you liked it anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

Never Too Late

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A/N: so i've been feelin' kinda write-y (is that a word) lately, which is why the last chapter and this one were up so close together, and why i posted 2 other stories in a span of like 4 days... see bottom for details on those.

Warning: the end of this chapter gets a little M-ish but nothing too graphic.

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Chapter 10... Here we go...

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Justin sat in the kitchen of the small two-bedroom apartment that he and his fiancee, Chelsea, shared. He had been living with her for two months now, just a month after he proposed, and he was happy with his new life.

Exhausted from a long day of gopher work at his new job as in intern at a research lab, he stood and made his way to the stove, carefully grasped the handle of the skillet, and gave the pancake contained within a flip. He smiled at the new trick that she had taught him, putting it to good use as he made her favorite... breakfast for dinner... before she had to catch the red-eye to Chicago for another business meeting.

"Hey, babe, you're getting better at that." Chelsea admired, seating herself down on the stool on the opposite side of the island.

Justin smiled at the angelic voice coming from behind him and turned around. "Well..." he said, walking around the counter, placing a tender kiss on her lips. "... I did have a pretty good teacher."

Chelsea giggled and smiled lovingly at him, "You were a good student." Justin chuckled, "Yeah, I get that alot."

He returned to the stove and slid the last pancake out onto a plate, adding the eggs and bacon he'd prepared earlier and slid it toward her. "Eat up. This way you won't be hungry when you land in Chicago."

Chelsea grinned and shook her head slightly at her fiancee, loving the way that he took care of her, even as tired as she knew him to be, feeling a bit guilty that she's been so busy lately. "You worry too much. But thanks."

Justin smiled back at her and shrugged his shoulders. He looked into her deep sea-green eyes, admiring the way they sparkled with life as she dug in to the meal laid out before her. He let his eyes drift down to her pouty lips, painted a soft red, and fought the urge to rush over and capture them with his own. His eyes flickered to her dirty-blonde hair and he loved the way her locks seemed to frame her beautiful face perfectly.

He walked up behind her and pushed her hair to the side and leaned down, placing a lingering kiss on her neck. She tilted her head to the side, pausing her chewing, to give him better access and let out a contented sigh. She swallowed the bite in her mouth and reached back to stroke his cheek as he trailed a series of slow kisses along her neck line before saying, "What are you doing Mr. Russo?" in a flirty tone, feeling him slide his hands up and down her slim, athletic body.

Justin smiled into her neck before placing another kiss and whispering seductively in her ear, "Well, soon-to-be Mrs. Russo, I thought we could say goodbye again before you left."

"We said _goodbye_ twice this afternoon and I don't have time to shower again... and I don't know about you but... I don't like being sticky when I'm flying." Chelsea said teasingly, patting his cheek.

"Okay, fine." he mock-pouted, wrapping his arms around her stomach, kissing her neck again, before she finished eating. He didn't move for several moments, not that Chelsea minded. Eating her favorite meal in the loving embrace of the most wonderful man she'd ever met was a great way to be, but he was rarely so still for so long.

She reached her hand back to caress his cheek again. "Are you okay?"

.x.x.

_"Are you okay?" the blonde asked him. Justin blinked a couple of times before shaking his head and looking up at the young woman in her mid twenties. "Huh?" he stated blankly._

_She giggled at him, noticing the vacant expression he'd just shaken off. "I said, are you okay?"_

_"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." he replied less than confidently._

_She looked at him for a moment before stating flatly, "Uh huh... then what are you doing on the steps of this apartment building at eleven o'clock at night?"_

_Justin blushed for a moment, and mumbled his reply under his breath, slightly embarassed._

_The young blonde giggled at him again and sat down next to him, "Sorry, didn't catch that."_

_Justin huffed and just gave in, "I forgot my key..." he told her, even more embarassed that he didn't remember something so important, "...so I'm waiting for the landlord to get back."_

_"Oh. Well, that wasn't very bright." she teased. Justin's first instinct was to glare at her but when he saw the playful expression on her face his mood couldn't help but lighten. His face softened and he let out a short chuckle, "No, I guess not."_

_"When is the apartment manager going to be here?"_

_He shrugged, "Probably tomorrow morning around nine or so."_

_The young woman furrowed her brown at him for a moment. "Tomorrow? Where are you going to stay tonight? Do you have family nearby you could stay with?"_

_Justin shook his head and looked away, "None that I still talk to..." The young woman remained quiet for a moment, contemplating her options, analyzing the young man next to her and what might have happened with his family before sticking out her hand and saying, "I'm Chelsea. And you are?"_

_He looked at her for a second before answering. "Justin," he said, taking her hand in his. "Nice to meet you." _

_"Well, Justin, I can offer you my couch if you want." Chelsea said sweetly._

_What? She doesn't even know me? Why would she say something like that? He asked himself. "No, I'll be fine." Justin replied, releasing her hand. "Thanks for the offer though." _

_"Justin," she said assertively, "it's freezing out here and it's about to get colder..." He could hear the concern in her sure tone as she continued. "You can't stay out here for ten hours... You'll turn into a popsicle." Chelsea stood up and held out her hand. "C'mon. You're staying on my couch tonight."_

_Justin laughed nervously, tucking his hands under his arms to stay warm. "I'll be okay. I promise."_

_Chelsea huffed and started tapping her toe, keeping her hand exteneded. "As much fun as it may be for some people to watch a guy freeze to death, I'm not one of those people... so let's gooooooo." _

_Justin looked up at her and squinted his eyes in confusion, "You're reallly not going to let this go are you?"_

_She quirked up her left eyebrow and shook her head. "Nope."_

_Justin swallowed and nervously reached out his hand to hers until she bent down further and grabbed it. "Oh, come on already! It's freaking cold out here!"_

_..._

_"Okay, so there's the bathroom," Chelsea said, pointing to the places in her apartment he needed to know, "there's the kitchen, help yourself to whatever's in the fridge, here's the couch and," she said, tossing him a blanket and pillow, "here's some stuff to make you more comfortable." _

_Justin looked at the pillow and blankets in his hand and back up at Chelsea, offering her a soft smile. "Thank you, Chelsea."_

_The blonde beamed at him, "You're welcome!" she said, pausing before turning toward her room, "Good night."_

_..._

_Justin woke up early like he normally did and decided to make breakfast for Chelsea as a 'thank you for not letting me freeze to death'... but things didn't go as well as he'd hoped._

_He didn't even notice Chelsea standing just outside the kitchen, barely able to contain her laughter, at watching him flail about. "Sorry," Justin said blushing, finally looking over and noticing her standing there, "I was trying to thank you for letting me stay here and uh..." he continued, pointing at the mess... "things kinda didn't go as planned..."_

_Chelsea laughed and grabbed a dishrag from the cupboard, "Don't worry about it. It's kind of sweet, actually."_

_Justin helped her clean the mess he had made, and noticed that it wasn't quite as bad as he first thought, but then something started bothering him... "Chelsea, why did you let me stay here?... I mean, you don't even know me... I could've been like... some kind of serial killer or something, and-"_

_Chelsea snorted humorously, cutting him off. "Justin, I grew up in a pretty tough neighborhood... I learned early on how to read people quickly and accurately just to stay safe, and I had you pegged pretty much as soon as I met you."_

_Justin scoffed, "What? That's not possible." He watched as she just nodded enthusiastically at him. "Well?" He asked._

_Chelsea raised her hand to her face and tapped her index finger to her chin, "You are really smart, but you're also pretty shy and try to act more confident than you actually are..." she tilted her head to the side, remembering the conversation the had last night on the steps, "You're probably really honest, so even if you were a serial killer, you would have cracked and told me anyway, and if I had to bet money on it, I'd say that you don't have a violent bone in your body, and when you do have to get physical, it probably makes you a little nauseated." She smiled at him as his mouth started to gape, "So, am I close?"_

_"Pfft, no!" he adamantly denied a little to quickly, but noticed when she quirked an eyebrow questioningly at him, "Okay, fine! You're right..." and mumbled, "But I _could _ be dangerous..."_

_Chelsea laughed and walked up to him, patting him on the shoulder, and looked down at the pancakes he tried to make before picking one up and clanking it against the counter. "You're right, Justin. You _are _ dangerous... but only to pancakes..."_

_.x.x._

Justin started laughing on his fiancee's shoulder before he answered her. "Yeah, I'm fine... I was just thinking about how we met." Justin let go of her and moved back into the kitchen to start cleaning up a little bit.

Chelsea giggled, "Yeah, I remember." She tried not to laugh when Justin mumbled, "And I still say that I'm dangerous.", but failed.

...

Twenty minutes later it was time for Chelsea to leave to catch her flight. She stood by the door, fidgeting with her keys, not really wanting to leave, trying to stall as much as possible. "I'll be back in three days," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist as he stepped to her, "then we can say 'hello' to each other until we're exhausted." she whispered seductively.

Justin leaned in and placed his lips on hers, savoring the feeling, before gliding his tongue across her bottom lip. Once her mouth parted, their tongues lapped at each other, exploring the other's mouth, taking in as much as they could to hold them over for the next three days. They broke apart, catching their breath, and Justin gazed into her eyes, jerking up his brows quickly, "Can't wait..."

Chelsea stroked his cheek and smiled at him, "I love you, Justin, and I can't wait to be your wife."

Justin smiled back brightly at her. "Just three more weeks..." he said, kissing her gently a final time, "I love you so much..." He stood back and opened the door for her, "I'll miss you. Call me when you land, okay?"

Chelsea smiled sweetly at him, "I'll miss you too. And relax, I'll call... You worry too much."

...

Justin sat on the couch in their apartment, freshly showered and ready to go to bed. He looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Ten thirty... Might as well go to sleep... Wait, who am I talking to?" He shook his head, stood and streched then frowned when he heard a soft knock on the door. "Coming."

Unlocking the chain and twisting the deadbolt, he turned the knob and pulled the door open, then froze. "Alex?"

She looked nervous and angry at the same time as she looked up at him. "Hey." she said in a neutral tone, pushing her way inside. Justin blinked at the suddenly empty space in front of him and shook his head, turning around and closing the door. "Uh... come in."

He watched as Alex turned around to face him, pulling out the wedding invitation from her purse. "What's this, Justin?" He looked at the envelope in her hand and squinted at her in confusion before stating, "The invitation to my wedding." like it should be obvious.

Alex rolled her eyes and huffed. "No shit, Sherlock. I mean, why didn't you send me one." _And why did you give up on us?_

"I did... like a month ago." He answered, seeing the small amount of hurt she allowed visible on her face. Alex frowned briefly, _Oh yeah, I haven't been home_. "Right. Sorry."

Justin took a step toward her and put his hand on his shoulder. "Alex, are you-"

"We need to talk." she blurted out, making Justin flinch and remove his hand. "O-kay." he let out slowly, motioning toward the couch, "Let's sit down."

Justin made his way to the tan leather couch and plopped down near the arm rest and watched Alex as she avoided looking at him and sat down next to him, scooting closer when the need for contact became to great. He didn't say anything for a while, letting her organize her thoughts, feeling the same electricity flowing through him at the touch of her skin like he used to, wondering if she felt the same thing. "Alex?"

"I still love you." she blurted out, turning to face him, hopefullness filling her eyes.

"Wh- what?" Justin stuttered, slack jawed.

"When you found me almost a year ago..." she started with a nervous confidence, "...you left thinking that I didn't love you anymore and I- I needed to tell you that it wasn't true, Justin, I do, I still love you..." Alex reached up her hand and ran it through her hair and took a deep breath. _Okay, should I tell him about Katie?..._ "And I need to-"

"Alex," Justin interrupted with an exasperated sigh, "I'm getting married in three weeks..." "I know, Justin, mom told me, and-"

"Wait, you talked to mom?" Justin asked, surprise evident in his voice. "Yeah," Alex said excitedly, "that's something else I needed to tell you. Mom said that she isn't mad anymore. She's accepted us... well, she made it sound more like she'd put up with us, but still, we won't have to worry about her doing something stupid like she threatened to do last time."

He could here the thrilled edge in her voice and it cut him deeply to repeat, "Alex, I'm getting married.", he needed to make her understand.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Justin. You don't have to any-"

"Have to? Have to!" he nearly shouted. "Alex, I'm not getting married because I have to!" He stood up, as a bewildered Alex looked on, and began to pace back and forth across the living room with his arms crossed and one fist pressed to his mouth. "Justin, calm down, I didn't mean it like that." Alex huffed. "I didn't come here to fight with you, okay?" _I came here to get you back._

Justin stopped pacing and took a calming breath. "You're right, Alex, I'm sorry... It's just... It's been a really long day." Slowly, he made his way back to the couch and flopped down, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Sorry." Alex took a chance and took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers, ecstatic when he didn't pull away.

"Just hear me out, okay." she said before she swallowed and licked her lips. "I want to give us another chance, Justin."

She watched as he just sighed, closed his eyes and laid his head against the back of the couch. "I love you, Justin, and I don't want to lose you again."

"Why now? What changed since last time?" he asked, clearly tired.

She squeezed his hand, scooted closer to him, and placed their interlocked hands into her lap. "Mom did. Mom changed. She was the whole r-"

"Alex, stop blaming all of this on our mom." Justin interrupted, growing irritated again. "You could've called me anytime between when you left and when I found you. It-"

"It's not that simple, Justin." Alex said, watching as his head jerked forward and twist to face her. "It is, Alex." he retorted as he stood up and released her hand. He ran his hand through his hair and scratched furiously at the back of his head. "Alex, I..." he started to say before he started thinking about what he should tell her.

He still loved Alex but he also loved Chelsea and no matter what he did, somebody, including himself, would wind up heartbroken. "I- I can't do this right now, Alex!" he said, marching toward his bedroom. "I'm exhausted from work and helping Chelsea plan the wedding and... I- I can't think straight right now. I just need to sleep..." He half-laughed to himself, knowing that he probably wouldn't be able to, as he walked to his room, and when his hand was on the knob, Alex spoke up.

"Justin, wait!" Alex started to tell him all about his daughter and how much both of them wanted him back, but she hasn't slept in almost twenty hours and she thought that a clear mind would be better for both of them so, instead, she asked softly, "Can- can I stay here... I don't want to go back to mom and dad's tonight." _Well talking didn't work... Time for Plan B... after a quick nap._

Justin sighed and nodded without turning around and pointed to the guest room. "Good night, Alex."

...

Alex rolled over and glared at the phone on the nightstand as it blared out the obnoxious tune that she had set to wake her up. Picking it up the check the time, she turned it off. _Three o'clock... Ugh, I never thought I'd do that on purpose_. She reached out and flicked on the lamp by the bed before sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

She made her way to the mirror and smiled. She had, some time ago, stripped off everything she was wearing when she had arrived and put on one of Justin's oversided t-shirts before going to bed. _I think he's had enough sleep_... She thought to herself, and made her way to his room.

Justin's eye's fluttered open when he heard to door to his room open and close with a loud click. "Alex?" he said, squinting through the darkness. "What's wrong?" He was still her big brother and prone to worrying after all.

"I couldn't sleep." she lied, walking to the other side of his bed. "And I guess I'm a little lonely..." Justin only stared at her, trying to figure out what he should do. "Can I sleep here?" Alex asked before he could respond.

"Umm... Alex, I don't think-" he started, before he was cut off. "Please." she begged. Justin let out a quick breath, "Fine." Agreeing with her was usually an easier way to get back to sleep than arguing was... speaking from his past experience with her.

Alex had a sultry smile on her face as she said, "Thanks." and slipped out of his shirt, letting his wide eyes gaze over every inch of her nude form, as the last scrap of clothing she had on, glided to the floor. She could see the stunned expression on his face when she finally, and tantalizingly slowly, slipped beneath the sheets and grinned to herself. "What? It's not like you haven't seen me naked before, Justin."

Justin snapped out of it just long enough to ask her, "What, um.. are you doing?" Alex rolled to her side and looked at him and smirked, "Trying to go to sleep, duh. What else would I be doing?"

He frowned but didn't say anything as he laid back and put his arms behind his head, letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He closed his eyes for a few moments and was almost asleep again when he felt the bed shift beside him. Before he knew it, Alex had snuggled up beside him, and draped half of herself over him. "Alex." he hissed, having gone rigid.

"I missed you, Justin." she said softly, placing her head against his chest, listening to his steady but rapidly increasing heartbeat. She laid her hand on his bare chest and began stroking it gently with her thumb. "I just missed you, is all." She could hear him sigh and begin to untense a little, as he spoke. "I missed you too, Alex, but..."

"I miss being near you," she draped her thigh over his, "I miss the way you smell," she breathed in deeply the fragrance of his body wash, "I miss the way you held me when we slept," she nudged his arm with her shoulder until he took the hint and wrapped it around her, causing her to smile. "I miss the way you used to look at me like I was the only person in the world you needed," she lifted her head to look into his eyes and grinned, "just like that," she looked down at his lips, licking her own, "I missed the way you taste..." and she kissed him.

She expected him to pull away, she expected him to resist, but he didn't. He returned it with as much passion as she put into it, a smile forming on his face at the familiar sensation of her moaning into his mouth, as their tongues explored each other again. Soon, her hand began to wander across his chest and down his toned abs, before making the return trip, and back again. Growing bolder she slid her hand down, pausing just below his belly-button, tracing random patterns, before daring to slip it beneath the waist-band of his boxers and gently caress his manhood.

Suddenly he stiffened and pulled away from the kiss, astonished at what he was allowing himself to do. "Alex, we can't-" he said but his breath hitched as she squeezed him tighter, and his eyes rolled back when she began to slowly stroke him. Alex smirked to herself, feeling a bit light-headed as the heat pooled between her legs, and he began to harden in her delicate but firm grasp.

She expected him to tell her to stop, she expected him to stop her himself, but again, he didn't, and she was near giddiness. "It's okay, Justin. I want this... you want this..." she said seductively, looking up and grinning at him, pausing her stroking just long enough to give his shaft two quick squeezes, "I can tell."

Justin's breathing was becoming labored as she slid down his boxers, and as her stroking quickened its pace, he stuttered out, "Alex, th-this is a b-bad idea." Quickly, Alex captured his lips again, shutting him up. He moved his other had from behind his head this time and ran it through her hair, pulling her closer to him, his mind suddenly lost in the familiar pleasure he'd missed so much.

Alex broke the kiss to gaze lustfully into his eyes, "If you want me to stop, Justin, all you have to do is ask..." she said to him as she moved her head down to lick along the side of his throat and up to his chin, placing soft, slow kisses along his jaw line to his ear.

She slid her leg all the way over him and shifted her body to straddle his, never releasing her grip on him. She positioned him at her entrance and in a low, seductive voice, whispered in his ear, "Do you want me to stop?" Waiting only half a heartbeat for a response, she sank herself down onto him.

A low breathy moan escaped his lips and she had her answer. Alex smirked to herself in victory, "I didn't think so..."

.

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Chapter 11... the next morning

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A/N: this ch. was weird for some reason. probably because that little voice in my head telling me to 'shut the hell up' was no where to be found and it got a little bloated. also, this may have pushed the line from 'T' to 'M' and if it did, let me know and i'll fix it.

those other 2 stories i mentioned... one to make you mad and one to make you sad... "Goodbye, Alex" was written to get out frustration about Justin's treatment on the show but, secretely, was done to get somebody riled up enough to write a counter-story... and i think it may have worked... also, someone else decided (with permission) to take that story and run with it... "8 Years" is the title... i think.

"As the Fire Dies" is the serious one, and personally, i feel that it is the 2nd best one i've written... i really like it... and i think you will too.

as always, thanks to those of you who have read/reviewed/alerted this thing. i appreciate it.


	11. Chapter 11

Never Too Late

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A/N: sorry for the wait, and i got no excuse this time... 'lazy' got the better of me and i felt that a nap would be a better use of my time. so, i figured i'd spend a couple hours and get this one out so... here ya' go... and as always, thanks to those of you who have read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this thing. i appreciate it.

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Chapter 11... Here we go...

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Alex awoke early the next morning and her world was nearly perfect again. Last night she'd recovered everything she feared that she'd lost forever so long ago... her friend, her lover, her daughter's father, her soul mate...

As she lay in his bed, the sunlight, streaking in through the small window in his room, illuminated her face in a warm glow and a familiar warmth settled in her stomach... happiness and love.

She blinked away the sleep from her eyes, closing them quickly at the sudden brightness, and let out a long contented sigh, and, if she had been a cat, she may have even purred. For too long, she's been supressing her needs and desires. She'd been so busy with Katie, and work that she barely had time to date let alone be intimate with someone... Not that she cared enough about any potential suitors to even try...

And while she did harbor some ill-will towards Justin for giving up on them so easily (she thought), she knew why he did... in not so many words, she told him to. But last night she'd found the release she'd been looking for... several times... and while the 'old' Alex may have held a grudge and tormented him about Chelsea, the 'new' Alex was willing to overlook these indiscretions, for the moment at least, and use it to her advantage (like when she wanted something he'd view as pointless and wouldn't get for her otherwise), because you work with what you're given, right?

In her mind, she _knew_ that everything would be better, she _knew_ that after a night of passion like that, after seeing the look of longing in his eyes, the tenderness of his kiss, and the feeling of falling asleep nestled deeply in his warm and secure arms, she _knew_ he'd come to his senses and leave this apartment to come back to Pennsylvania, (not that she was going to help with the packing), back to her home, back to _their_ home, and start their life together.

She also _knew_ he'd realize his love for her and the way it raged like an out of control fire, and leave his fiancee (cheap, floozy, man-stealin' whore- Alex's words) to let their love burn as brightly as it did before... but things are rarely so simple with Justin... the 'upright' guy, the one who almost never did anything wrong (although the love that Justin and Alex shared was more than just wrong across several worlds), the one who put honesty and truth and 'right' above almost all else... the one who punished himself, more than anyone else, for his mistakes...

Alex rolled onto her back and stretched, letting out a yawn as her mind raced with happy thoughts and her heart filled with hope, not caring when her bare breasts peeked out over the top of the sheets.

She frowned when she realized that Justin wasn't pressed behind her anymore and began to long for his touch. Alex rolled onto her side and extended her arm to his side of the bed but, when it fell, unimpeded, onto the matress below, her eyes snapped opened... and that's when she saw him... and for a moment, her heart fluttered uneasily.

Justin was sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows were on his knees, and his head was hung in shame... Last night he had done something that he had never thought himself capable of doing... he'd had an affair. He had always prided himself on being intelligent and loyal, but while his old girlfriends may still label him as such, he knows that there is one thing he can no longer claim to be... faithful... and the guilt he felt was overwhelming.

Alex scooted closer and extended her now nervous hand to softly touch his back and called his name in an anxiety laden voice. "Justin?" He didn't respond beyond tensing the muscles beneath her touch and she grew more worried. Alex tried to tell him how amazing last night was, and how excited she was about their future together in hopes that everything was was going to be alright but, "Justin, last night was-"

"A mistake." he finished for her. Suddenly there was a knot in her throat and she could barely breathe. Her heart perched on the edge of a cliff as she quietly choked out, "Justin?" while blinking back the tears forming there, and when he silently stood and walked out without a backward glance, her heart tumbled down, shattering into a million pieces like a glass carelessly brushed off of a counter.

...

It took Alex a while to recover from the devistation laid at her feet but finally she was able to wipe the moisture from her face and steel herself from the rage that boiled within and went back the the guest room to re-dress and regroup.

When she emerged, he was sitting at the small island with his head in one hand and rubbing the back of his neck with the other, as if trying to wipe away the burden of guilt and shame he was feeling, and something inside of her snapped. She had spent too much time alone, too much time without him, too much time thinking about and missing him... and she was tired of it... and then, the inevitable shouting match began.

Words like 'irresponsible', 'careless', 'wreckless', were tossed about, followed by 'remorse', 'mistake', and 'regret'. Words designed to hurt... words designed to sting... and they did. Words countered with 'please', 'love', 'hope', words designed to pacify to convey, but they didn't, followed with, 'hate', 'hurt', and 'fear', designed to show, to express, but they failed.

"Why, Justin?" she begged.

Justin scrubbed his face with his hands, letting out a heavy sigh before speaking more calmly than before. "We've already fractured our family once, Alex. I don't think it would survive a second time."

Alex could always read her older brother like a book and knew instantly he was being less than truthful and let him know in no uncertain terms.

"That's bullshit, Justin!" she yelled, stepping closer to him as he flinched at the sudden rise in volume. "Dad accepts us, Max has _never_ cared, and mom said she's okay with us being together now!" she said, flicking her finger back and forth between the two of them. "You know this!"

She lowered her face down and affixed her 'don't-screw-with-me' glare as she hissed out, "So why don't you stop being a pussy, man up, and quit fucking lying to me."

She expected the explosing from him that she would get when she threatened his manhood, but it never came, and her face softened when he finally met her gaze and she saw the moisture forming in his eyes, and the furious blinking to keep it at bay. "I can't-" he said, swallowing hard and turning away, "I can't do it again..." Justin drew in a ragged breath and continued when Alex placed a hand on his shoulder and called his name questioningly.

"Do you have any idea what it did to me? The last time you left?" He looked up at her again, not even trying to hide the sorrow and hurt on his face anymore, "I was... broken, Alex..."

"Justin," Alex said, guilt now aching from deep inside, "I'm sorry. I was so scared... But-"

"I know, Alex. I know you were." Justin replied softly, cutting her off. "But what happens the next time you get scared? What happens the next time you panic? What happens-"

"Justin," Alex cut in, "that's not going to happen again." she pleaded.

"But what if it does? I can't go through that again... I can't risk it... feeling that helpless and alone... I just can't."

She felt the air being sucked out of her lungs and the blood pumping through her veins seemed to crawl to a hault, but she refused to let anymore tears fall, she'd shed enough. She knew she had an ace-in-the-hole in Katie she just needed the right moment to play it.

"Justin, please. Just give me, give _us_, another chance, please." she begged, fighting with everything she had to keep the moisture in her eyes in their place when he remained eerily quiet.

"I love her, Alex." he said after a moment of silence, "And she loves me, and..." Alex squinted her eyes at him, trying to burn holes in the back of his neck even as her heart broke more deeply. "She'll never love you like I do."

Justin blew out a quick breath through is nose, the only evidence of the silent laugh to himself at his sister's defiant nature, before he spoke. "And despite what you might think, Alex, she's not some consolation prize I found to replace you after you told me to leave... she's not. She's kind and sweet and she makes me... happy."

And there it was. 'Happy.' She knew he wasn't lying anymore by the small smile he let grace his features and she died a little inside... suddenly her ace-in-the-hole had become useless. If she told him about his daughter, she knew he'd come back with her, it was the kind of person he had always been, but she also knew that sometime, in the forseeable future, he'd might grow to resent her for it... for taking him away from 'happy' and forcibly shoving him into 'duty'.

And that's the last thing she wanted her and her daughter to be to him... a duty, a responsibility...

Justin looked up after a long silence and saw the inner turmoil splayed clearly across her face as the battle raged within her mind. He stood and embraced her, squeezing her tightly, as the tears she thought she was through with silently returned. "But, Justin..." she pleaded one final time, wrapping her arms around him in return.

"I'm sorry, Alex." he spoke sadly. "I can't be what you want me to be... I can't _be that_ for you anymore... All I can be to you anymore... is your brother."

Alex stiffened at the word, 'brother', and weapt into his chest. She hasn't thought of him in that way in over half a decade and to hear him say it in a moment like this was like a punch to the face. She had never been cut so deeply and wished he had struck her instead... at least a physical wound would heal...

The only thing she could do was nod... it was all she had left... and as he pulled back from her, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, silently whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." before letting go entirely.

"So that's it then?" she asked, her sobs coming under control. He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

.x.x.

_"So that's it then?" she screamed into her cell-phone, "That's your excuse for not coming?" She listened to the voice on the other end of the phone stutter out his mangled reply before she'd had enough. "Ugh! Go to hell, Dean!" She flipped her phone closed and threw it at the wall, lucky that the pink fur wallpaper prevented it from shattering._

_Alex kicked off her shoes and flopped down on her bed fully prepared to fume for the next three hours when there was a hesitant knock on her door. "Go. Away!" she hollered. _

_Justin entered, looking slightly nervous when Alex glared at him in annoyance. "I s_aid_ go away."_

_Ignoring his own fear of possibly being killed tonight, he walked toward his sister and sat down next to her. "Are you deaf or something, Justin?"_

_Justin visibly swallowed the lump in his throat and stared down at the floor, clearly uncomfortable, but willing to play the role he fit so well... the rock, _her_ rock, when she was in need. "I'm sorry." While her glare didn't relax any, out of the corner of his eye, he could see that her shoulders did. "I'm sorry about tonight."_

_"What?" she snapped defensively. "I don't know what you're talking about." _

_"I saw you come up here, Alex, and..." he cleared his throat nervously, "I heard you on the phone." he blurted out, but when he saw, more like sensed, the fury begin to return, he quickly added, "But I swear I didn't mean to."_

_"Ugh, Jeez, Justin, I'm fine." she defended, crossing her arms. "Please, just go away." When he looked over at her with his 'I-know-you're-hurting' look followed by the 'please-just-talk-to-me' stare, she visibly deflated with a heavy sigh. "Fine," she huffed, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. "I'm pissed that Dean missed my Sweet Sixteen 'cause he got tickets to some stupid concert." Her tone suddenly become weary and saddened as she continued. "I had the whole thing planned out... We'd talk, hold hands, party, avoid _you_ people," she teased, waiving a hand a Justin. He smiled. "And then we'd slow dance to some cheesy love song, kiss goodnight..." she said, blushing ever so slightly as her voice trailed off._

_Justin nodded in understanding but remained quiet. He knew that even though she would deny it to the end, she was more girly on the inside than she let on, and things like an thoughtless boyfriend would hurt her. _

_Without thinking he got up and headed to his sister's radio and flicked on the CD player. Luckily for him, cheesy 80's power ballads came blaring out until he turned the volume down to a less ear-splitting level..._

_He turned to the icy glare of his little sister. How dare he touch _her_ stuff... Ignoring the look that made his insides cold, he moved to stand in front of her and as the glare slowly turned to more of a curious look, he held out his hand. "Alex, I know I'm not what you were hoping for tonight, but... maybe I could help make it better?"_

_Seeing the warmth and caring in his eyes, she knew that he was just doing what he always did... making her feel better... And if she was being completely honest with herself, she needed that now, needed _him_ now... but, of course, she'd never let him know that. She let out a mock-annoyed huff and took his hand. "Fine... but if you tell anybody..."_

_They twirled around her room for a time frame neither bothered to keep track of, and only occasionally did Alex make fun of his lackluster dancing... But soon, Justin was making lame jokes and soon, they were both laughing and happy. And then later, both of her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, her face buried where it met his shoulder, and his arms were around her waist... both still swaying, eyes closed, to music that had long ago stopped._

_And though Justin was right, she did feel better, he was also wrong... because in that moment, she realized that he was exactly what she had been hoping for._

_.x.x._

As they stood there in the kitchen, both remembering the night when feelings began to emerge that were wrong and terrifying at first, but evolved into something so much more... beautiful and tangible... he embraced her tightly one last time and let her slip away.

She moved on trembling legs toward the door, disappointment and failure weighing heavily on her mind. She did, after all, make a promise to her daughter, one that, now, she wouldn't be able to keep.

And as she grasped the handle and began to pull it open, she stopped in place when he called her name. "Alex?" She didn't reply, mearly glanced, looking out of the corner of her eye, over her shoulder. "I still want you in my life. Please don't think that I don't... and... I would like it if you came to my wedding."

A final tear slipped down her cheek as she shook her head slowly. "I can't..." she whimpered... then she was gone.

_So this is what 'I don't love you anymore' feels like..._

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A/N: okay so *ducks* damn it! you people have got to stop throwing cookware! somebody's gonna get hurt.

so this one probably isn't the best... only took a couple hours (thus the occasional type-o and weird phrasing)... but i figured i'd get something out there 'cause people were probably getting annoyed with the wait.

and you can relax, i did, in ch 1, promise a sweet story, remember?... but, i also said 'eventually'.

and, this thing's almost over (probably 2 chapters left & an epilogue) and while i usually give a 2 or 3 word 'heads up' to the next chapter, because you threw stuff, you get nothing... so ha!


	12. Chapter 12 part 1

Never Too Late

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A/N: as always, thanks to those of you who have read/reviewed this thing. i appreciate it. i'd also like to send a shout out to: unknown (), iheartdisney128, and ZenNoMai... best i can figure, they reviewed all or most of these chapters and i figured i'd say a special thanks now, or i'd forget to later. and a heartfelt thanks to the rest of you who have reviewed that i didn't mention. thanks guys/gals! also, thanks to CO. ZE. TY. OMI2 for quite possibly the most amusing review i've ever gotten, *chuckles* hilarious!

i learned something about myself after writing this... sweet (which is what i was after here) is really not my forte... but like with anything else, i figured 'what the hell' and took a whack at it anyway.

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Chapter 12 (part 1)... Here we go...

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These past three weeks have been tough for Alex. She had failed to get Justin back, she had failed to keep the promise that she had made to her daughter, and now, all there was left to do was to try to move on... but she didn't know how... or even if she could. The first week was the worst. She felt miserable and she barely slept, barely ate, barely spoke to anyone.

But by week two, though, things had started to get better. She no longer cried herself to sleep at night, she no longer felt the crippling devastation that had gripped her only seven days prior. And in the third week, the week of Justin and Chelsea's wedding, she had accepted the fact that history, as her father had suggested, had repeated itself.

She had thought about going to the wedding, about trying to be the supportive sister, but she wasn't sure she would be able to handle watching him say those two words, 'I do', that would signal the end of their time together... a time she had cherished, a time that had brought forth a child, a time she desperately wished to return to.

She briefly considered the prospect of showing up, and being able to 'speak now' but she knew that making a scene would, once again, withdraw him from 'happy' and instill heartbreak, and she would have only been able to keep silent, dying on the inside, and 'forever hold her peace'.

She had accepted her situation because there wasn't much else she could do. She had tried her best, given it everything she had, but it just wasn't enough... and like she had always told Katie, "No matter what the outcome, if you try your best, there's no reason to dwell on it."... but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt.

And all she could say through all of this was, "Thank God for Harper."

Harper had been there since Alex had returned to Warren and helped out as much as she could. While Katie would also help where she could, mostly just by being there, which helped Alex more than Katie would ever know, it was nice to have a friend around, someone to talk to, someone who would understand.

By the end of the third week, things for Alex were pretty much getting back to normal. She had returned to work while Harper stayed behind to babysit Katie, although Katie insisted they call it 'hanging out', because, after all, she wasn't a 'baby' anymore... and even agreed to start calling her parents and Max again, once a week, just to check in. Truth be told, she missed them, so a thirty minute phone call every Sunday evening was no big deal.

Week four started in a flurry. She had a showing at the art gallery (luckily, they hired her back), spent time catching up with her friends (they, too, found Harper a bit... odd... but they got along great regardless), and even went on a couple of dates with the new guy in town, Brandon.

Brandon was kind and considerate, loved art and the theater, but most importantly, had accepted Katie. Alex was a little worried that he may have had some trouble with this, given her evasive answers to Katie's lineage, but he didn't and Alex was grateful.

Only briefly, did she allow her mind to wander to thoughts of Justin, who now, on his honeymoon, probably wasn't thinking about her anymore, but she quickly shook these images away... they only brought pain.

But what she was most excited about was Katie's fifth birthday party. It was scheduled for next week and she had wanted to keep it a surprise, but Tyler, who Harper had brought with her, seeing how well him and Katie got along, just couldn't keep his mouth shut...

All of the family showed up... all save one... and even Brandon stopped by, earning cautious and warning looks from Jerry... Alex was still 'daddy's little girl' after all. Katie did her best to act surprised, but was completely over the top about the whole thing, receiving a 'nice try, kid' from her uncle Max.

They sat and laughed, talked about old times, ate cake and opened presents. Katie squealed with delight at all of the new toys and clothes she had received, there was so much more now that her whole family was doting on her.

The party over, goodbyes were said, hugs were exchanged, and promises to 'come back soon' were made. With things calmer now, it was time for Brandon to go home and after a kiss goodnight, Alex still couldn't help but wish that those lips belonged to someone else...

...

It's now been a month and a half since Justin had said, "I can't" and for the first time in a long time, Alex felt like her life was back on track... like maybe things would all work out for the best.

"Hey, Alex?" Harper asked, having decided to stay for a couple more days... just in case... not that Alex cared. After all, why cook and clean when someone would voluntarily do it for her? "Where's Katie?"

"She went to spend the night with Shirley." Alex said, reclined back into her couch, casually flipping through the channels on the TV.

"Your neighbor?" Harper inquired, plopping down next to her. "Yep." The redhead looked at her best friend for a moment, a little confused. "But it's only two in the afternoon."

Harper had gotten to know Shirley a little bit over the past several weeks and even little Tyler had taken a liking to her. She was like the grandmother Harper had wished she had when she was younger and while Harper was a little disappointed that Zeke had taken Tyler home after the party, she was also a bit relieved... one rambunctious child was already a handful, but two...

"Yeah," Alex replied, aimlessly waving her hand about, "Katie wanted to show Shirley all of her new stuff. And besides, Shirley missed Katie, a lot, and I figured it would be good for them to hang out for a while. She really loves that kid."

"Oh, okay." Harper looked over on the coffee table Alex had her feet propped up on and saw the half finished jig-saw puzzle Max had been working on late the night before and asked, "And what is _this_ supposed to be?"

Alex just shrugged, glancing down at the disarray on the table. "Max said it was either a kitten or a dump truck." she said, shaking her head, "Of course he _did_ have half of the pieces upside down... so who knows."

Harper chuckled softly and relaxed back into the couch. "So... are you excited for your date with Brandon tomorrow?" she asked after a moment.

Alex groaned and rolled her eyes having already dodged about a hundred questions the previous evening about him. "I guess." Harper frowned for a moment. "You don't sound all that excited."

Alex shrugged, a little annoyed. "We've only been seeing each other for a couple weeks, Harper. I'm not looking for anything serious yet after..." her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words, finding none, she finished with, "...you know."

Harper felt bad for her best friend. She knew what she had gone through even though she couldn't imagine what she was feeling, but tried to comfort Alex the best she could. "It gets better you know. It has to, right?" she said confidently.

Alex rolled her head over and shot her friend an incredulous look but seeing the big grin on Harper's face, she knew what Harper was trying to do, so she snorted and smiled lightly. "Yeah, I guess." Alex turned her attention back to the TV and mumbled out a 'thanks' before she continued. "It's just that-" She was cut off by a loud ding-dong echoing through the house. "What the hell was that?"

Harper cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes in confusion at her friend. "It's the doorbell, Alex." she said flatly.

Alex looked up at the ceiling as if that was where the offending noise came from as it dinged again and deadpanned, "I have a doorbell?"

Harper huffed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, Alex, your dad fixed it after the party." When her best friend made no move to get up, other than a casual shrug, after the doorbell rang again, Harper sighed and got up. "I guess _I'll_ get it. It's not like _I_ live here or anything." As she moved around behind the couch heading toward the door she didn't notice the little wave Alex shot from the couch, but when she heard the "Kay. Thanks.", the urge to roll her eyes was too strong to ignore.

Harper opened the door and her mouth dropped open. She realized after a moment that her eyes were on the verge of popping out of her head and blinked to recover but it ended up turning into a batting of her lashes and the 'Hi' she breathed out was said a little more dreamily than she had anticipated... old habits die hard...

"Hey, Harper." Justin said, a little uncomfortable under Harper's gaze, because again... habits... "It's good to see you." Justin cleared his throat after a moment to get her attention. "Harper?"

She shook her head, finally clearing her racing mind. Thoughts of Justin, Alex, _Justin and Alex_, the past several weeks, and the past few years played through her memory. "Justin!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace him. She hasn't seen him in a longer time than she's seen Alex and her excitement had gotten the best of her for a moment.

Hearing _that_ name escape her best friend's mouth, Alex froze in place, chills shooting up and down her spine. Suddenly, Harper's mind wasn't the only one that was racing, and the sudden fluttering of her heart made it hard to breathe. When she finally stood and turned around, she could see a clearly uncomfortable Justin unwrapping the arms of Harper's awkward hug and suddenly felt the need to rescue him for once, even though she did find it a bit amusing. Alex cleared her throat loudly before saying "Harper, let him go... You're married." and took a deep breath before approaching.

"Married?" Justin asked, looking back at Harper, trying to control his heart rate after seeing the beauty that was his sister drawing near.

Harper nodded enthusiastically and said, "Yeah. Zeke." as she blushed for acting like she used to before turning to Alex. "And it was just a hug, Alex..." she admonished, "...it's not my fault he's still h.o.t. cah-ute!" Only this time, it was Justin who blushed... "Thanks?"

Alex rolled her eyes, finally settling in beside her friend. "Harper," she said, seeing that Justin was about to say something. He was probably going to ask about Zeke, and Zeke and Harper's wedding, trying to be polite, but now wasn't the time... "Could you..." she asked, nodding her head toward the living room.

Harper took the hint and let out a huff and narrowed her eyes in a half-hearted glare at Justin, "Fine, I'm supposed to be mad at you anyway." and walked toward the couch muttering something about 'polite', 'friendly', 'old friend', but Alex couldn't bring herself to care.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Justin and coldly asked him, "What are _you_ doing here? Shouldn't you be with your pretty new wife?" her voice laced with sarcasm.

Justin looked down at his feet and kicked some imaginary pebble while tucking his hands in his pockets. "I need to talk to you, Alex. Can I come in?"

"No, Justin. You can't." She bit the inside of her lip. She didn't intend for it to come out so icy but she couldn't let him know that just seeing him was getting to her. "What do you want?"

Justin looked up into Alex's deep brown eyes and saw her anger but he thought he saw something behind them that he couldn't identify... He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and prepared to present the speech to her he had been practicing for days... but when he looked into her eyes, all planning was for naught.

After a few false starts and stumbling over his own words he clamped his eyes closed, forcing his mind to focus... "Alex, I lied to you."

When he opened his eyes, he noticed that the look on Alex's face had softened, the fire in her orbs dissipating, and curiosity setting in. "What?" she asked softly.

"I can't be..." he paused for a moment, running his hand through his hair, focusing on keeping his lip from quivering. "...I can't _just_ be your brother anymore."

Although her heart was suddenly pounding in her chest so quickly, so loudly, that she was almost certain he could hear it, and even though she wanted nothing more in that moment than to come crashing into his arms, she knew that, with Justin, it was never that easy. As she looked into his pleading eyes, she narrowed hers. "What is _that_ supposed to mean, Justin? In case you forgot, you're married! _You_ decided that you didn't was this..." she said angrily, flicking her finger between them, "...anymore. _You_ were the one who said you couldn't risk it again. _You_ were-"

"We called it off." He simply stated, cutting her off. "I didn't get married."

Suddenly, her heart lept into her throat and her breathing increased its speed, not just from her tirade, but from something she hasn't felt in weeks... hope. "Wh-What?"

"I couldn't do it, Alex, I couldn't." He looked at Alex and, for the first time in a long time, she was speechless. Not that she would've been able to speak with her mouth hanging open like it was. "After you left, I started thinking about things... about _us_... and I realized something."

When she realized that he had stopped talking, he was looking at her expectantly, as if awaiting her reply to a question he didn't ask... kind of endearing really. And with a shaking voice she asked him, "What did you...?" but she couldn't finish, lest the happiness quickly building within her burst forth, revealing her true feelings.

"I realized that..." he began, a smile forming across his lips, "...it was always you. _Only_ you. The only woman I've ever _truly_ been in love with. The one person I can't live without... And I want to give this, _us_, another chance. I want to-"

"Awwww!" cooed Harper from in the house.

Justin looked up and Alex turned around to glare at Harper who, realizing that she had just said that out loud, offered them both an apologetic and guilty grin, a timid wave, and a sheepish "Sorry." before sinking back down behind the couch, peeking her eyes back over once she thought the two had returned their attention back to each other.

As odd as it may sound, Alex was actually grateful for the interruption... it gave her a chance to wipe the single silent tear from her cheek that had slipped from her eye before she turned back around.

"So, you think it's just that easy, Justin?" she asked, cocking up an eyebrow. "You think you'd just show up here and say what you just said and expect me to take you back?" But her words, no matter how hard she tried, had lost their venom, and her eyes, no matter how much she forced them, betrayed her as they sparkled with joyful moisture in the mid-day sun.

"Expecting? No..." he answered, slowly shaking his head and fighting back a smile while softly saying, "but hoping..." He reached up to cup her cheek, stroking it slowly with his thumb, the grin he'd been holding back springing forth when she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand.

After a moment Alex's eyes snapped open as she came to her senses and gently batted his hand away, before nonchalantly examining her freshly painted nails. Not even looking at him, she casually said, "Sorry, Justin, but I have a date tomorrow night, so..." with a shrug.

Justin stepped forward and placed his strong and gentle hand on her waist, pulling her to him and nearly growled, "Cancel."

Almost against her will, she leaned into him, her arm, seemingly of its own accord, wrapping itself around his neck, while the hand she still had control of flicked her nails together. "I don't know, Justin. He's super nice and he-"

Justin leaned in, kissing her cheek before moving futher to lightly nip her earlobe. "I don't care. Like you said to me, Alex... He'll never love you like I do." he whispered.

"Hmm, well," she started, trying desperately to maintain her self control, "it's just that _he'd_ never-"

"Alex," Harper scolded from the couch, "stop teasing him and say _yes_ aready!"

"Harper!"

"Right, sorry..."

Alex shook her head in mild frustration. All she was trying to do was make him work for it a little... why did her best friend have to be so impatient?

And, in truth, she wanted nothing more than to say 'yes' in that moment, but she still had questions, still had concerns, like maybe he was doing this for all the wrong reasons. She hesitated for a moment, distracted from her defenses, and if it had been anyone other than Justin in front of her, they may have missed it... but not him.

Justin looked into her eyes, seeing the worry they held, and frowned slightly. "Alex, I know you're scared. Scared of what might happen, scared that things won't work out... and I am too..." he paused for a moment, nearly choking on jagged breath, "...but I'm tired of being without you. I'm tired of waking up without you by my side, tired of not being able to hold you, and kiss you..." he said, moisture beginning to glisten in his eyes. "...but I'm willing to risk it, Alex, if you are. I'm willing to risk _everything_..." he sniffled as a single tear slipped quietly from his eye, "...for you."

As another drop of moisture followed the first, he noticed that she, too, had shed her own, and as he reached out his hand to gently wiped them away he continued. "All you have to do, Alex, is say _one_ word. All you have to do is ask me to stay and..." he nodded his head toward the U-Haul parked on the street before a small smile graced his lips, "...you'll be stuck with me forever. All you have to do is say it..." he whispered.

She was overwhelmed by her emotions, no longer bothering to hide how vulerable she felt as tears streamed, unabated, down her face. Her eyes beamed with happiness as her quivering lips quirked up into a soft smile. She nodded her head, barely able to form words, but luckily she found one, just one, but it was the only one she needed, and whimpered quietly, "Stay."

In a whirlwind, lips met, passions and desires exploding, arms clinging tightly to each other. Time seemed to stop and neither noticed Harper, silently crying on the couch, hands pressed happily over her face. Minutes passed before the second hand resumed it trek as Justin pulled back, out of breath.

Seizing an opportunity to vent some frustration, Alex stomped on his foot and slapped the back of his head, grinning at the satisfying, "Ow! What the hell was that for?" he shrieked.

"Asshole!" she nearly yelled, but seeing the hurt and worry in Justin's eyes, thinking that he was fearing the worst, she dropped the facade of anger. "What took you so long?" Alex said quietly, wiping her eyes. She couldn't stop the giggle that escaped at the relieved sigh from Justin... It was the same one he had when he discovered that his Captin Jim Bob Sherwood 'doll' was returned, stolen by Alex of course, undamaged. He just shrugged, "Had to pack."

Before she could open her mouth to speak, he grasped her tightly by the shoulders and spoke first. "I need you to promise me something, Alex." Justin said firmly. "Swear to me that no matter what, no matter _what_ happens, we'll face it _together_... no more fear, no more running..."

Alex slowly nodded, almost too happy to speak. "I need to hear it, Alex." As she looked into those storm grey eyes, she knew he was serious, and she could sense that this was her chance to get him back, for good this time, and she was not about to miss it. "I promise."

Justin smirked slightly, moving his hand up to stroke her cheek. "I don't think that's going to be good enough."

Alex huffed and stomped her foot to the ground in frustration and asked "Justin?" with uncertainty laced in her voice.

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A/N: relax, it ain't stopping there. that little 'shut-the-hell-up' voice in my head is still suspiciously absent and this was getting too f'ing long to cram into one chapter (there was supposed to be four between 11 & 12 (but i figured it was about time to start wrapping this thing up) - i'll tell you about that later)... so i broke it up into two... so go get a drink or go to the bathroom or something, then hit that little 'next' button and part 2 will already be there.


	13. Chapter 12 Part 2

Never Too Late

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A/N: so here's the end to ch. 12. it gets a little 'M-ish' toward the end, but nothing too bad. now that this part is done, i can finally get around to my reading list... it's like 14 deep at the moment... jeez.

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Chapter 12 (part 2)...

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Alex furrowed her brow in confusion and frustration, nervousness returning to the pit of her stomach. She stared at him for a moment before noticing his hand, balled in a loose fist, make its way slowly between the two of them, stopping at chest level. Alex looked from his hand and up into his eyes and noticed the goofy smirk he had plastered on his face, and as he slowly raised his little finger away from the rest of his digits, it was her turn to sigh with relief.

"Seriously, Justin? A pinky swear?" she said in bewildered amusement. "That's the best you can do?" she laughed.

The smirk on Justin's lips faded as his face sombered. He blinked a few times and looked down at his hand before he spoke. "This" he said, wiggling his finger, "is all I have left." Her laughter quickly faded and a perplexed look crossed her face. "Justin, what are-"

"Alex," he interrupted, "you are always on my mind, always in my thoughts and in my dreams. And my heart," Justin said, a small smile returning to his lips, "my heart will _always_ belong to you..." he let out a small chuckle before he continued, "... and I think we _both_ know that my body can't resist you."

"Yeah, well..." Alex blushed slightly.

"What I'm trying to say, Alex, is this: everything I have, everything that I am, heart, mind, body, and soul... have _always_ belonged to you, but this," Justin said, wiggling his pinky, "this, I keep for myself... for important things," he continued with a shrug and a slight grin, "like this."

Alex smiled brightly at him, moisture annoyingly brimming in her eyes. "Justin, that's cheesy."

He raised his eyebrow at her in a silent challenge that she knew all to well before she sniffled softly and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she huffed, smiling and taking his pinky in hers, "I swear. Good enough for you, dork?"

Justin's face beamed as he quickly nodded and said, "God, I've missed that." as he brought her close.

Lips met, tongues exploring at a feverish pace, and before either of them knew it, Justin was laying on top of Alex, each others hands roaming freely as they collapsed on to the couch next to a still smiling Harper.

When they finally separated, breaths heavy and ragged, they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes knowing that this time... this time was forever and nothing would change that.

Harper viewed this brief separation as another opportunity to ruin a moment and cleared her throat loudly. "So Justin... what happened to Chelsea?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Slut." Alex muttered.

"Alex." Justin scolded. "She's not a slut."

"She's not a slut." Alex parroted, only mildly mockingly. Justin glared down at her, but the twitch in the corner of his mouth from trying to fight back a grin, gave him away. Alex cocked up an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

Justin laughed nervously for a moment and rubbed at the side of his forhead, just above the hairline. "She, uhh..."

.x.x

_He told her. Told her everything. The truth (but not the whole truth). His guilt was gnawing away at his insides and he knew that after he had realized that he loved Alex, was _in love_ with Alex, it wasn't fair to Chelsea. Sure, he loved her, but more like a sister, and he laughed to himself at that odd twist of fate... _

_She screamed, she yelled, she'd slapped him as hard as she could but he made no move to defend himself... he felt he deserved it. Words like 'betrayed', 'cheater', 'liar' were thrown at him and while they stung his heart, he knew he was also doing this for her. She deserved so much more than a man who couldn't love her wholeheartedly. She was truly one of the most genuinely kind people he'd ever known and he was in anguish as he watched her heart breaking._

_In a fury she stormed through their kitchen, pacing violenty back and forth, shouting at Justin every cold and cruel thing she could imagine while he meerly stood there, visibly absorbing and flinching at every anger filled word that struck him._

_Through tear filled eyes and with a frazzled mind, her hand landed on the skillet sitting on their stove, and in a heart broken daze, whirled around and threw it at him, striking him right above his hair line directly above the outside of his right eye._

_..._

_He doesn't know how long he was out, but when his eyes blinked open, she was kneeling above him with her hands pressed to her face covering her mouth and nose, tears streaming apologetically down her face._

_"Justin, I'm- I didn't- Please-" she sobbed once she had helped him to the couch and wiped the blood from his face. He pressed the ice pack to his head and held up his hand to silence her frantic, rambling apology. "It's okay. I deserved it."_

_She shook her head violently, "No you didn't, Justin. I was just..." He offered her a weak smile, "I know, Chelsea. I'm so sorry."_

_They talked for a while, only this time, there was no more screaming, no more yelling, only tear filled apologies and expressions of remorse._

_"So..." Chelsea said after a while, "... is she the one you never want to talk about? And why you've been acting so distant these past couple weeks?" she asked. Justin nodded._

_"And is she... you know... _the one_?" Chelsea asked, choking back a sob. "Yes." he answered softly._

_"Okay." Cheslea said, nodding her head, and wiping her eyes. "Then I think you should go to her."_

_"Chelsea?" he pleaded, not wanting to make things worse._

_"It's okay, Justin. It's fine." she said as she stood up and went to their, now, only her, room. Gathering her purse, keys, and a small overnight bag, she hade her way to the door. "I'll be staying at my parent's for a few days while you pack your stuff." She turned to face him and offered a weak smile and said, sadness still prevalent in her voice, "I hope you find what you're looking for, Justin. Good luck."_

_"Thank you." he replied to the closing door._

_.x.x._

"She, uhmm, took it pretty well."

Alex narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Really?" she asked flatly.

"Well, eventually... but she was pretty upset at first so..." Justin chuckled nervously again and pushed his hair back so Alex could see, "she threw a pan at me."

"Oh, that's just awful!" Harper said, looking out the window, trying to imagine how the scene played out.

Alex snorted and poked at his wound. "Ow! Stop that!" Justin admonished, pulling her hand away. Alex couldn't stop the chuckle that left her mouth, "I like her better already!"

"I just can't help but feel bad for-" Harper started before she turned her attention back to Justin and Alex. His lips were on hers, her hands were fisted in his hair, soft moans coming from both. Harper rolled her eyes at the scene, "You know it's rude to- Ugh, you're not even listening to me anymore are you?"

As she watched, she began to grow a little uncomfortable. Intimate PDA, even amongst her other friends, made her a little uneasy. But what she didn't have a problem with was who was doing it... not anymore. She was furious at Alex and Justin when she first found out, disgusted, and didn't speak to either of them for months... then she met Zeke. He was quirky and fidgety, had a pension for not sitting still, got weirded out the the strangest things, and, as Alex once said, broke the scale she used to measure 'dork'.

And though her initial attraction to Justin may have been mostly physical, with Zeke, it was something more, something she never expected, something she couldn't ever quite put her finger on, and that's when she realized something that would mend the friendship between her and Alex forever... you can't help who you fall in love with.

She was shaken from her thoughts when Alex let out a deep throaty moan and looked down to see that Justin's hand had snaked its way up Alex's shirt and was gently kneeding her breast.

Harper shrieked and jumped off of the couch. "Ew! You guys! Are you just gonna 'do it' right here on the couch?" she said looking back and forth at the siblings still going at it like they didn't hear her. "This is so unsanitary... Justin, isn't that one of your- Alex, aren't you going to-"

Harper threw up her hands in exasperation and let out a huff and an eye roll. "You guys don't even know I'm here anymore, do you?"

Alex moaned breathily as Justin trailed sucking kisses down her neck.

"Of course not." she sighed. Before she knew it, Alex had yanked Justin's shirt over his head and Harper couldn't help but stare in admiration for a bit before she caught herself and flinched. "Oh!" Quickly, she averted her eyes, covering them with one hand.

"Ooookaaay, I'm just gonna go stay with Shirley and Katie tonight." She gathered her purse and headed to the front door, pausing to turn around. "I'll be back in the morning so... yeah," she said, seeing that she was still being ignored, "still not caring. Got it. See ya!"

Justin's eyes popped open at the sound of the front door closing and stuck his head up above the back of the couch, panting and out of breath. "Did you hear something? What was that?" he asked Alex.

"Does it matter?" she asked seductively, reaching out to rub his chest. Justin chuckled. "Guess not."

"Oh!" Alex said, suddenly realizing where they were and where things were quickly heading, and pulled them both to a standing position. "I forgot to show you around." Justin looked at her at her for a moment and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Over there," she said, pointing over his shoulder, "is _my bedroom_, and if you look behind you, you'll see _my bedroom_, and just on the other side of that door is-" she was interruped and squealed in delight when Justin reached down and firmly squeezed her butt, lifting her off the ground, and he smiled when she wrapped her slender legs around him. "Alex, I get it."

...

She wanted to tell him about his daughter but the way his tongue danced across her body made it impossible to think, impossible to anything but feel and enjoy.

And when he had released himself inside of her, she was too out of breath, coming down from her own orgasm, to properly form words. Breathing heavily and covered in cooling beads of sweat, she panted, "Justin... there's... something I... need to... tell you."

"I know... I love you too."

"No, I mean, yes, I love you but... Oh, God!" she moaned as he took her nipple into his mouth... and once again, her mind had given way to her body, and, once again, all was lost. At the end of the second round, she'd stopped keeping track of the number of orgasms she'd had... math and sex never went together well anyway, but more importantly, her voice was even harder to find this time. "Jus- we- I-" she tried to talk, but it wasn't happening. She thought that after a few minutes, her breathing would be calm enough to try again, but when those few minutes passed...

Okay, so the third time was totally Justin's fault. He knew what it did to her when he kissed and licked the spot just behind her earlobe... But Alex couldn't find it in her to complain. After so much time apart, an hour or two of breathless bliss was a price she was more than willing to pay.

With the third round finished, both tumbled down onto the bed, exhaustion quickly getting the better of them. With the last ounce of strength she could muster, she dragged herself over to Justin and laid her head on his chest. When he wrapped his arms protectively around her, she let out a contented sigh, and after a few moments, breaths returned to normal, heart rates leveled out, but this time she had a new problem... she couldn't keep her eyes open. "I love you." was the last thing she heard before drifting off into a deep, peaceful, happy sleep, with a satisfied smile on her face.

...

When she awoke the following morning, her phone was playing some obnoxious tune, making her question why she picked it in the first place. She flipped it open and mumbled out an irritated 'what?' several times before she realized that no one was on the other end. She pulled back the phone and looked at it and it finally dawned on her that it was a text from Harper.

_Coming over with Katie. Will be there in 15._

Alex smiled and rolled over to kiss Justin 'good morning' but panicked when he wasn't there.

Immediately, she jumped from the bed, ignoring the dull ache between her legs, and ran to her bedroom door, throwing it open. The sight before her eyes warmed her heart and made her sigh in relief.

At some point, Justin had gotten up, letting her sleep in like he knew she liked to, cleaned up the living room, gotten dressed, and had busied himself making breakfast. The smell of eggs, bacon, and toast lingering in the air made her mouth water but she frowned when she looked down and noticed her current state of dress... well, undress, and hurried to the closet to throw some clothes on.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, she made her way to the kitchen, half-surprised that all of the appliances seemed to work, and wrapped her arms around Justin from behind. "Hey, good morning." he said in a loving tone.

"Morning. Mmm, smells great." she answered, taking in a deep wiff. "Thanks." Justin replied.

He turned around and brushed a stay hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, and smiled brightly at her while stroking her cheek with his thumb. She stared into his eyes for a moment, wondering what was going through his mind.

"What?"

He leaned down and placed a soft, slow, chaste kiss on her lips before he pulled back and whispered to her, "I love you."

Alex embraced him tightly, pressing her cheek into his chest, and said something that only twenty four hours earlier, she feared she may never get to tell him again. "I love you, too."

As they stood there in each other's arms, Alex realized that Harper and her daughter, _their_ daughter, were on their way and she still hadn't told him yet. "Justin," she said, pulling away from him, a slightly guilty expression on her face, "there's something-" but she was cut off by the doorbell. _Shit! Harper, you're early! What do I do? What do I do?_

"Coming!" she yelled at the door to stall for time as she made her way over to it. _Oh, God, oh, God! Think!_

"Are you okay?" Justin asked, standing a few feet behind her, noticing her suddenly strange behavior.

She nodded, "I'm fine." and took the door knob in her hand. She took a deep breath, feeling the need to prepare herself for the worst. It was too late for explanations, too late to prepare him for what was about to happen, there was only one thing left to do. _Okay, Justin, don't freak out, don't freak out._

She turned the knob and pulled the door open and, seeing her daughter smiling brightly at her, she turned around to Justin.

"Justin, there's someone I'd like you to meet..."

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Chapter 13... father and daughter... (final chapter)

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A/N: see why i broke it up into 2... i just saved you from a seven thousand word 'single read' monstrosity.

and remember what i told you about throwing cookware? now justin's the one who was injured. *points accusingly* i hope you're happy.

the next chapter should be up soon-ish. like i said, i got a lot of reading to do still, so i'm hoping to get caught up on that.

hope you liked it!


	14. Chapter 13

Never Too Late

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A/N: judging by the number of readers per chapter, it looks like some of you just skipped to the last chapter on the previous update (it was one chapter in 2 parts) and were probably confused. just go to 'chapter 12 part 1' and all will make sense again.

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Chapter 13: Here... we finish...

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"Justin, there's someone I'd like you to meet..."

Justin looked at Alex expectantly for a moment before she swung open the door revealing Harper and a small child, four or five years old he guessed. As he looked at this little girl, he began to notice things... her hair, her facial features, her slim build... she looked so much like Alex... and that's when he began to grow nervous.

Alex had a child and he never knew... He was starting to-

"Justin," Alex said, trying to remain calm, "this is Katie." she continued, placing her hand behind the little girl's back, encouraging her forward, curious at the expression of wonder splayed across her daughter's face. "Katie, this is Justin... your fa-"

"Justin?" the small brunette interrupted, her eyes fixed on his. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw her mother nod and heard her say, "Yes, Katie. He's-" but the wheels in her mind were turning to fast to hear anymore...

She knew _that_ name but hasn't heard it in some time and as the gears clicked into placed, her eyes lit up... his eyes... and she knew. "Daddy?" she asked quietly, her voice full of hope.

Justin gasped. His eyes darted back and forth between Katie and Alex looking for confirmation to what he'd just heard, thousands of questions racing through his mind, unable to process any.

"Yes, Justin." Alex said, answering his silent question. "She's your daughter."

His breathing increased, his heart raced, his brain, unable to even form a thought anymore, allowed his mouth to gape slightly, and his eyes to widen in shock.

Suddenly the world slowed down, nearly crawling to a hault, time seeming to, once again, stop. "DADDY!" Katie shrieked in excitement, breaking into a sprint towards him... the father she's waited so long for.

Without thinking, he dropped to one knee, the other following soon after, as he watched this child, _his_ child, this glorious little creature... beautiful and exuberant... come crashing into his open arms.

He wanted to be angry with Alex for keeping something like this from him but as his mind recovered, the only thing he felt was joy... unbridled and overwhelming... and tears streamed down his face as his body trembled.

Katie doesn't remember how tightly he clung to her, she didn't care, and squeezed him as fiercely as her tiny frame could manage. Justin doesn't remember how long he held her... he didn't care either. This was his moment, her moment... _their_ moment, and no one could ruin it.

Almost.

"Justin, you cry like a girl."

Quickly he opened his eyes, still holding his daughter tightly, and looked at Alex, who quickly wiped her own happy and relieved tears away in an effort to keep him from noticing... but he saw her anyway and cocked up an eyebrow at her. "Doesn't count. I actually _am_ a girl."

He smiled at Alex and loosened his grip on Katie so he could pull back and see her... truly see her and, in his eyes, she was, for lack of a better word, perfect.

With a trembling hand he reached up to caress his daughter's cheek, wiping her tear soaked face with his thumb as she beemed brightly at him. He couldn't stop his smile from growing when she did the same to him... like father like daughter.

Finally able to speak, he was able to softly stutter out something he'd never known he wanted so badly, "I... I'm a father." and Katie answered with something she's been dreaming of saying ever since she could remember, "Hi, daddy."

Justin let out a short, tear choked laugh, "Hi." before engulfing her in another hug. Never in their lives had two words... 'father', 'daddy'... changed their world so completely... and they couldn't have been happier.

...

Alex stopped crying long before Justin did, and much sooner than Harper, relief easing her tense muscles. And now that she thinks about it, she should have known it would end this way... with Justin embracing his little girl, both crying like, well, little girls... and she was having a difficult time wiping the smile from her face.

She watched for several moments as Justin picked up Katie, twirling her around as she squeeled in pure glee, before finally settling on the couch. Alex let out a soft chuckle as their daughter promptly crawled up into her father's lap and started prattling on like she usually did... but, this time, there was so much more excitement in her voice... and Alex knew why.

Without warning, Brandon popped into her head, and, given what she was about to do, felt no guilt. "Harper," she said, turning to her best friend, "I've got to make a phone call."

Resisting, and failing for the most part, the urge to record Justin and Katie, she put down her camera and listened in as Alex dialed and placed the phone to her ear. "Brandon, hi, it's Alex-... No, I've got to cancel-... 'Cause, it's not working out-... It's not you, it's me. It just wasn't meant to be. I care for you, just not in _that_ way. Take your pick-... Uh huh-... Uh huh-... Nope, sorry-..." Alex pulled back from her phone and looked at it a bit miffed. "He hung up. Rude."

"Well, you weren't very nice, Alex." Harper said. Alex shrugged and looked back into the living room at her family, her new family. "Honestly, Harper, right now, I couldn't care less." she said with a smile.

Harper frowned for a moment before grinning. "I understand. And besides, when I was in town the other day, I heard that Brandon was kind of a froo froo anyway."

Alex shot her a 'what the hell are you talking about look'. Harper sighed, "Yeah, I don't know what it means either, but it doesn't sound good."

Alex giggled at her best friend and gave her an unexpected, but still welcomed, hug. "Thanks, Harper. For everything." "Your welcome, Alex."

...

Alex flopped down on the couch next to Justin, placing Katie's feet in her lap and watched the two of them. Justin rarely spoke beyond the occasional, 'wow', 'really?', 'that's so cool', but what he _was_ doing was gently stroking her cheeks, running his hands through her dark hair and down her arms... almost like he was afraid this was all a dream and touching her was the only way to make sure this was real...

As she watched them talk, well, Katie mostly, she saw the look of amazement and wonder on Justin's face, and when he pulled Katie down and kissed her on the forehead, Alex knew one thing: Never in her life had she been this happy.

And in the eighteen minutes Justin and Katie have known each other, Alex knew two more things: Justin would always be wrapped around Katie's little finger. And Katie would always be daddy's little girl...

...

It's been a week since Justin came back and six days since he had met his daughter and things were as close to perfect as they could be. And although Alex may have been a bit jealous that Katie was taking up so much of Justin's attention, she understood, and decided to let it go... for now.

It was just around lunch time and they had decided, as a family, to go to the burger joint just down the street. 'Family'. That word, and the emotions it brought forth, still made Alex smile. She had called her family, her 'old' family, Sunday evening, as promised, and told them about what had happened. They were ecstatic, even Theresa, that their two oldest children were finally happy and threatened to come visit as soon as possible... but after some begging and Katie's 'grandpa, please', they decided to give Alex, Justin, and Katie some time to just... be.

Finally ready to go, they stepped outside, and Justin, being the responsible one, locked the door. Turning around, he grinned at Katie, "C'mere, you." and she squeeled with delight as he picked her up and put her atop his shoulders.

Alex rolled her eyes and smiled at them. "You know, Justin, she's five. She can walk on her own."

"No, mommy. I like this better." Katie giggled. Justin beamed. "I know, right? This is so much more fun." he said, carefully bouncing his daughter while she laughed.

Alex couldn't help but shake her head and grin devilishly as they started the short walk to the restaurant. _That's my girl. Why walk when you can be carried._

But she couldn't stop her nervousness from growing as they approached.

Finally arriving, they happily ate their bugers and fries and talked openly about anything and everything... no one knew them here... and even if someone did, they could go to hell... there wasn't going to be anymore running.

After about a half an hour Katie blurted out, "I gotta go potty."

Alex chuckled at the little girl's bluntness. "Ok, honey."

Katie hopped down from her chair and proceeded to make her way to the bathroom when Alex noticed Justin getting up too. "Justin, she's fine." she said, motioning for him to be seated.

"Right, sorry." He said, sitting back down. "I'm still new to this whole 'dad' thing."

Alex gave him a faltering smile, making her current nervousness worse. "I'm sorry." she said, realizing how much it must have hurt him to have a child he didn't know about kept from him.

Justin reached across the table and took her hand. "It's okay, Alex. I know, now, why you did it... why you ran. I understand and I just want you to know that I'm not angry..." he stated with a grin, "...not even a little. Okay?"

"Thanks." Alex said softly, only this time, her smile was genuine. _Okay_, Alex thought to herself taking a deep breath, _It's now or never_. "Justin, there's something I need to tell you and I need you to promise me you won't freak out."

Justin scoffed and stated confidently, "I_ don't_ freak out."

"Really," Alex retorted, "cause I super-glued some of the pages to your Captain Jim Bob Sherwood comic together."

"You what?" he shrieked.

"Just proving a point, Justin." Technically, she didn't lie about the super glue, but that could wait... "Your comic's fine." _Most of it is anyway_.

"Not funny... but I get your point" he grumbled. "I promise not to freak out."

Alex took another deep breath and swallowed hard before cautiously telling him, "I'm pregnant."

Suddenly his mouth was dry and hanging open, his eyes were about to be let loose from their sockets... he was in shock... again. He mentally scolded himself. _How could you have been so stupid. Why didn't you use protection?_

He knew that they had dodged the proverbial genetic bullet with Katie, and by all accounts, he had deemed her to be perfect, but what were the odds? What were the odds of this new life being, as much as it made him cringe, defect free... but as these worries played through his mind, something pushed itself through to the foreground.

He used to be a wizard, and Max was _still_ a wizard, a full wizard, and if push came to shove, magic might be the answer to his unborn child's health... and as much as he hated the idea, he knew, already, that he would do anything to ensure it.

As he stared into Alex's eyes, so full of nervous anticipation, a new thought appeared. _I'm about to be a father again!_ As a smile slowly started forming, he blinked in realization and shook the smile away..."W-What? But it's only been a week since we... you know..."

Alex threw a french fry at him. "No, genius, I know that. Back at your apartment... Like almost two months ago... Ringin' any bells here?"

"Oh, right." he said, blushing slightly. "I thought _you_ were the smart one." Alex retorted with a wry smile. "Soooo... what do you think." she asked, the anxiety quickly returning.

He dropped his 'annoyed' glare when he saw the genuine nervousness behind her eyes. "I mean, I'm nervous and worried, sure. But this... it's just... terrific and wonderful!"

Alex snorted. "Who talks like that? Just say terrifical."

"Alex, that's not a word."

"Did I just say it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, but-" "Then it's a word!"

"It doesn't work like-" he started, but that thought crossed his mind once more. _I'm going to be a father again_. "Alex, your pregnant?"

"I've noticed. And didn't we cover this already?" she replied flatly.

"We're going to have another child?" Justin said, his excitement quickly building, even has Alex tried to stay nonchalant. "Yep." she replied as her relief lessened.

He leaned forward and took her hand again and asked softly, fighting back the tears that would surely get him called 'girly' again, "We're going to have a baby?"

Alex only nodded this time, her face beaming, her smile shining at the happiness and joy held behind his eyes.

Without warning he jerked upright, his chair sliding across the restaurant, throwing his arms in the air, "WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!"

"Ah! OH!" Alex winced, startled by his outburst.

By the time she recovered, he was running around shouting 'we're gonna have a baby' so excitedly her heart nearly burst... until people started shooting knowing looks her way. "Justin! Sit! Down! Now!" she commanded with a hiss. His reply...

"WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!"

Alex slumped back down into her seat and raised the menu in front of her face. "He's so embarassing." she muttered to the number five special. She vaguely recalls the sound of the restaurant door dinging as he ran outside... still shouting his happiness to the whole town of Warren as far as she could tell.

Only then did she feel somebody elbow her from the next table. "Oh hey, Shirley."

"Alex, dear, did you see how happy he was?" the elderly woman asked. Alex tilted the side of the menu again, "Yeah, but geez-"

"Listen to me, honey." Shirley interrupted. "You don't take this away from him. Sure, he'll embarrass you now, but you let him have this. He's just like my Michael was..." she paused to chuckle, "... He did pretty much the same thing to me but, and this is the important part, Alex, but what you need to do now, is let him embarrass you... let him have this joy now... and later, he'll realize what he did, apologize profusely, and make it up to you in spades."

Shirley smiled when Justin stumbled back in and placed his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "Trust me on this one, honey. Everything will be fine."

Justin recovered enough to make his way to the table as Alex took Shirley's advice and cautiously lowered the menu. "Alex, I'm so... sorry... I was just... really... excited." he panted, the grin on his face appearing to be permanent now.

Alex looked over at Shirley who gave her a 'told ya' grin that Alex returned with a 'thank you' smile. When she turned to face Justin again, Katie was climbing back up into her chair. "Geez, that line in there was forever!" Katie stated. "And what was all that yelling?"

"Does she know?" Alex shook her head. "Can I tell her?" Alex stared blankly at him for a second or two. "Please." He whined. "Tell me what?" Katie interjected.

"Yeah, sure." Alex agreed.

Justin reached over and pulled Katie into his lap. "Guess what." "What?"

"How would you like to have a little brother or sister?"

"Really? That would be terrifical!" Katie exclaimed.

"See," Alex snorted, "I told you that was a word." Justin rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his daughter.

"Well, mommy is pregnant. Do you know what that means?" he said, obviously trying to hide his quickly returning excitement.

Katie's face was the picture of pure joy as she nodded 'yes' to her father's question and looked wide-eyed at her mother. "Really, mommy?"

"Yep. Are you excited?" Alex asked.

The little girl's ability to contain her excitement quickly crumbled. She threw her arms in the air, "WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!"

"WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!" echoed her father.

Alex groaned and slumped back down in her chair retreating back behind the menu. "Ohhh, Katie... not you too."

...

The next day, Justin made his apologies, and just like Shirley said, made up for it. Even though he was still new to the town, he had found one of the most beautiful places Alex has ever seen, and since this would be Harper's last day, Harper volunteered to babysit... hang out, she meant...

He'd strung white Christmas lights between the trees to guide the way to the moonlit picnic by candle light set atop a gently rolling hill on impossibly soft grass... And even though Alex found it a little cheesy at first and wondered where the electricity for the lights came from, she quickly melted and grew to love it. They talked, they ate, Justin made a fool out of himself, Alex laughed at him... the usual... and when they made love beneath the stars, he whispered, "I love you so much."... and all was forgiven.

A few days later, Alex walked into their home and the sight she saw forced her to struggle to fight back tears... a fight she lost. Toys, books, and puzzles were scattered across the living room and though irritated at first, when she turned around and saw Justin sleeping on the couch with Katie resting peacefully on his chest, she couldn't help but smile as she remembered something Shirley had told her over a year ago... love always finds a way... and though she didn't know how, it seemed that Shirley was always right...

...

For the next few days, Justin began to grow more and more quiet and his face began to show signs of guilt and worry and Alex was growing nervous.

He was sitting at the kitchen table flipping through a photo album of Alex and Katie when she found him. "Justin," she asked cautiously, "what's wrong. You haven't been yourself lately."

He wiped his eyes so Alex wouldn't see, but the redness in them gave him away as he turned his chair to look at her. "Why were you crying?" she asked, but this time, there was no teasing in her voice.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." he answered with a weak smile. Alex walked to him and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Justin, remember what you told me?... no more fear. If you're having second-"

"No! No, it's not that... at all! I love you and I love Katie and," he paused to place his hand on her stomach, "I love this baby, and I'm _not_ going anywhere... _ever_... it's just that..." his voice trailed off.

"What?" Alex gently encouraged.

He sighed. "When I look at Katie and I look at these photo albums, I can't help thinking about how much I missed... her being born, you having to raise her by yourself, her first words, her first steps..."

"Justin," she said sadly, "it's not your fault." Alex leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on his forehead as a tear finally slipped from his eye.

"I just... sometimes I think that she'll wake up one day and realize that she doesn't want me... that she doesn't need a father."

"Daddy, No!" Katie stated firmly from behind them. "That's not true!"

Quickly, she made her way to her parents and tugged on her mother's arm. "Mommy, mooovveee." she whined.

"Okay, okay." Alex unwillingly complied and knelt down beside them.

"Thanks." Katie said, hopping up into her father's lap. She pointed a finger at her dad and put on her best 'serious' face. "_You_ are _my_ daddy. You will _always_ be my daddy... no matter _what_! Got that, mister?"

Justin chuckled softly and stroked his daughters cheek. "Got it." Suddenly he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from him... and that's when he knew that this delicate being before him, loved him as much as he loved her.

Katie lowered her finger and placed it on his shoulder. "Good."

Justin sniffled quitely and took Alex's hand, squeezing it gently, and looked back into his daughter's eyes. "So... It's not too late for me to be your dad?"

"No, daddy." Katie stated firmly, shaking her head for emphasis. "It's not too late."

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, squeezing her arms tightly around him and whispered in his ear, "It's never too late."

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End

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A/N: well there ya go. my feeble attempt at a sweet story. hope you like it! the only thing left is the epilogue... coming soon.

on a randon note: there's a single word and a single phrase that exactly one of you will get (you know who you are) and i found it too amusing to pass up. hope you saw it!

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fun facts

(this part is just a 'thank you' for reading. it will have no bearing on the story, and if you don't feel like reading it, just skip it.)

-also, if you'd like to review the story, feel free, but please don't ask stuff about these goofy little 'facts' in one... my reasoning- if someone, in the future, is reading reviews to figure out if they want to read this thing, i don't want them asking 'what the hell?'-

this part is just for y'all! if you have a question about them, do it in a PM or something... i'll answer. promise.

about the story:

-like everything else i've written on this site, it was done with only a smartphone and a bluetooth keyboard (i know, right?)

-it all started with the very last line (like all the rest of mine have) and backtracked from there to the last scene.

-i like the idea of the first thing you read in a story (the title) and the last line being the same (i don't know why)

-the next thing in my head was the very first scene and it progressed from there

-i don't particularly like to write them 'in character' so to speak. my tendency is to slide them a little more towards 'real-ish' but i figured i'd slide them more toward 'character' for this last chapter.

-some of you may have thought that some chunks were missing... and they were. i cut out, what i like to call, pointless chatter. it's the stuff that characters are saying that are not all that important to the 'main event'... kind of taking up space if you will... and while it's fine to read, i found it incredibly dull to write... so as alex would say, i gave it the 'bootski'. some of my favorite, or most important 'pointless chatter' made it in the form of a flash back, and is designated by *flashback* where i took it from.

-it was originally supposed to be 30 chapters but i cut it down to 13 + an epilogue: here's a brief run down of what was booted and kept.

ch 1-3: funny feelings, awkward moments, lingering touching and looks.

ch 4: feelings become tangible, try to ignore, *flashback* the dance, alex gets the kiss she wanted, just not from who she originally intended.

ch 5: time passes, horribly uncomfortable for both, alex accepts her feelings first, justin resists.

ch 6: justin finally accepts, "now what", "keep it a secret, duh" *flashback* roses (altered)

ch 7: time passes, theresa becomes suspicious, *flashback* catches them on the couch and flips her shit.

ch 8: sneaking around, time passes, *flashback* their first time, (would've pushed it to 'M')

ch 9: time passes, time together coming to a close, alex feels sick, missed period (not from their first time though), pregnancy test, "shit, that's not good."

ch 10: in the lair, *flashback* theresa catches them making out (before alex can tell justin about baby), and again, flips her shit, alex panics for child, leaves, time passes

ch 11: *flashback* justin is pissed, leaves to find her, alex's journey, justin's search, shirley

ch 12: alex & shirley, time passes, katie's birth, time passes, 'memory flashes' start, justin's search, time passes

ch 13: chapter 1 (rearranged for new story type)

ch 14: chapter 2

ch 15: chapter 3

ch 16: chapter 4

ch 17: alex & harper, tyler & katie, zeke & alex (about justin, awkward)

ch 18: chapter 5 expanded

ch 19: chapter 6 expanded (ends the same. i love that line)

ch 20: *flashback* justin meets chelsea, alex's search, harper & katie

ch 21: alex's search (extracted for chapter 7), justin & chelsea grow closer, time passes, justin proposes trying to move on

ch 22: chapter 8 more or less

ch 23: chapter 9 expanded (really angry)

ch 24: chapter 10 expanded to 'M'

ch 25: chapter 11

ch 26: time passes, *flashback* justin confesses, time passes, alex meets brandon, harper & alex about bradon

ch 27: alex & brandon, justin starts packing, alex & brandon get closer, justin decides, "who am i kidding. i can't live without her.", drives to alex's in his u-haul

ch 28: katie 5th birthday, alex, harper, and family, alex and brandon, getting serious?

ch 29: chapter 12 expanded (if you can believe it) pushed to 'M'

ch 30: chapter 13

epilogue: epilogue (unchanged) it was only thought of about half way through the last chapter... a line popped in my head to end it with that was too good to pass up.

-you're probably thinking 'holy shit, over half of it was cut. yep. most of it was 'pointless chatter' that only moved the story along a little bit at a time. like i said, it's fine to read, but for me, sucks to write.

-think of it like this, some would take a hammer and chisel and carve out a detailed story... i took a jackhammer to the thing. the same goals were accomplished but this one was just... rougher.

-keep in mind, that's a lot of shit to keep straight in your head, and at times, picking out things, sorting others, rearranging stuff, got to be a bit much... so some stuff got missed or forgotten about... *shrugs* it happens.

about me:

-penname: dulscar- where'd it come from?

it was a type-o years ago that had something at one point to do with my name, but you guessed it, i was too lazy to fix once i realized it... and it kinda grew on me.

-speaking of type-os, i'm not sure if you noticed, but i often type 'in front' as 'infront' and 'no one' as 'noone'

usually i do quite well with spelling and grammar (although the, what some may deem as, 'unique phrasing' is intentional) but for some reason, those two things get me nearly every time... don't know why.

-writing: the first creative thing i've ever written was the first story i posted to this site. unless you count school crap... which i don't... that's more like a punishment.

-favorite stuff i've written: 'happily ever after?' and 'as the fire dies'- i like the picture they put in my head

-least favorite: the short one and the dirty one(it was a dare, don't tell anybody though, it was supposed to be a secret)- let's just leave it at that

-i've officially been on twitter for a little over a week, and yes, i find it completely pointless, but it gives me a chance to get out some 'crazy' that's being stored

why sign up? a friend of mine did and wanted me to... when i refused, they dared me to... and *sighs* i'm a sucker for a dare... can't help myself

-as a writer: personally, i think i suck, but that's never stopped me before. i find it amazing that anybody likes my stuff enough to favorite it and i'm even more shocked when i'm favorited as an author... i am, however, extremely touched and grateful. so thanks!

-what's next? well, most of you who liked this story probably won't like my next one.. though i'd like you to give it a try anyway. it will be called 'over the horizon' and will be for lack of better words, dark and intense. mostly about survival and staying alive when the odds are against you. i'm actually planning this one out!...on paper first! i know, i'm shocked too. it'll be kinda scary though so... yeah.

anyway, if you're still reading this, then thanks! and remember, if you have a question or comment about any of this stuff, please do it in the form of a PM... just to keep reviews separate and avoid confusion from future readers (although, if you did want to review *laughs*, you'd probably have to re-read the chapter after all of this nonsense. lol! sorry 'bout that.)

anyway, thanks for reading folks!


	15. Epilogue

Never Too Late

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A/N: not what this is done, i can get back to my reading list... it got away from me again... sheesh!

this may be a bit funny, and sweet, and sappy, and sad, but i promise, it won't be depressing... what a bad way to leave a love story... hope you enjoy! (there's also a reference to ch. 12 pt 2. i hope you recognize it!)

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Epilogue: This... is where it ends...

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Alex and Justin Russo were married for sixty seven years. But how? They were siblings, they were related, bound by blood... The answer, unlike so many things in their younger years, was simple... magic.

Justin asked Max, albeit somewhat reluctantly, for help, knowing Max's propensity to mess things up. They planned and plotted for three whole days, looking for the perfect spells to aid them... and, finally, they found a solution... but first...

One month after Justin had returned to Alex, he proposed...

It was a small event, a simple, but enormously meaningful affair for both of them. On the same gently rolling hill that Justin had taken Alex to on the night of his apology, he set up the same white lights and slowly flickering candles and lured her there under the guise of another moonlit picnic.

Once again they ate, once again Justin made a fool of himself, once again Alex laughed at him, and, once again, they made love beneath the stars... but this time, when "I love you"s were said, Justin reached beneath the blanket and opened a small black box. "And I was hoping you'd agree to love me for the rest of my life..."

Her first reaction was to call him cheesy but when she saw the sincerity in his eyes, the tears welled in her own. And as he slipped the small diamond ring onto her finger, all she could do was wipe her eyes, gently nod her head, and, with a happy, quivering smile, softly whisper "Duh." before pressing her lips to his.

When they got back home Justin had one final surprise. He had called their parents and Max, Harper and Zeke, who had found out about Alex and Justin when he and Harper first started dating, and while initially, he was as angry as Harper, he, too, forgave and accepted his best friend, but, knowing his propensity for running his mouth, Harper threatened him, under pain of neutering, to keep his mouth shut... and he did. Justin even invited Shirley and several employees from the art gallery that Alex had grown close to.

When they walked through the front door, "Congratulations!" reverberated throughout the cozy suburban home. Alex's first instinct, this time, was to smack Justin in the chest, and this time, she acted on it.

Laughs and memories were shared and as the small party wound down, people started leaving so Alex and Justin shared a surprise of their own. "Mom, dad, I'm pregnant."

Though Theresa was apprehensive at first, soon, like Jerry, Max, Harper and Zeke, she as just as excited... after all, she was about to have another grandchild. Before long, she was lecturing Alex about the necessity of a proper diet, exercise, getting plenty of rest, and prenatal vitamins. "Ugh, I know, mom. I _have_ done this before." "Yeah, well, I've done it three times so..." Theresa said before she stuck her tongue out. "Real mature, mom."

As she lay there in Justin's arms that night, a thought finally occured to Alex. "I know our family is happy for us but, how can _we_ get married?"

When Justin laid out the plan the him and Max had spent three days sorting out, Alex snorted. "Justin, that's stupid."

In the next few minutes, Alex made changes and rearranged the plan to the point that, even Justin had to admit, made more sense. Justin grumbled a bit because, just like when he was younger, he'd overlooked something, until Alex interrupted. "Justin, I need you to do three things: First, shut up. Second, kiss me. Third, go to sleep. I'm freaking tired."

The wedding was tentatively scheduled for next year, but just like when Alex was younger, she got impatient... so it was next month instead.

It wasn't the big dream wedding that she'd always thought about... they still had secrets to keep, so only those closest to them were invited... and both of them knew that keeping their secret relationship secret teetered on a knife's edge and the slightest breeze, but for the beat of a butterfly's wings, could send it cascading into ruin... but it was still, in her eyes, perfect nonetheless.

With Katie serving as flower girl, looking positively adorable in her light blue dress, and Tyler, dressed to the nines in a small black tux with a light blue vest to match Katie, serving as the ring bearer, Alex walked down the aisle in her veiled white gown, smiling as her crying father gave his baby girl away.

With the "I do"s said, Justin kissed the bride and the small gathering applauded the happy couple as they began their new lives together...

And the plan? Well, Max cast his spells, under Justin's supervision, and Alex Russo was no longer a Russo... at least on paper... To anyone who might inquire, she was a family friend, the adoptive daughter, much like Harper, to parents who never really existed.

Birth certificates, social security cards, driver's licensces, and most other identifying papers were changed and Alex got the two things she wanted from this plan... married to the love of her life and, a whole four days later, she got her name back... although she couldn't help but smile devilishly when she thought about all the work that others would have to do, that magic did in five minutes, to change her name back to what it was... and, once again, she was Alex Russo.

The best part... Justin knew this plan would work. Why? It's simple. Wizards were too involved in their own doings to worry about the back-office paperwork of mortals...

Six months later...

A very pregnant Alex stared at herself in the mirror of their bathroom and was disgusted. "Ugh, You're so fat!" she told her reflection. "Look at this, Justin! I look like a friggin whale!" she said, horrified as she leered at her rapidly expanding stomach.

"Alex," Justin said softly as he moved from the doorway to stand behind her, "you're eight months pregnant. You're supposed to look this way." he informed her as he gently rubbed her shoulders.

Alex glared at him in the mirror, "It wasn't this way _last_ time."

Justin shrugged and ran his hands down her arms, sliding them forward and delicately rubbed her protruding belly. "They're all a little different." He kissed her on the neck and looked down at her stomach, "You want to know what I see?" "What?" she snapped.

"I see a woman who's carrying a child, _our_ child. One who's going to be smart, witty, charming, and compassionate... one who, like Katie, has the best of you... and the best of me... and _no one_ can take away from us... And even though you may think you look less than your best, and you may find it corny, to me, Alex..." he paused to gaze lovingly into her eyes, "...to me, you've never looked more beautiful."

Alex remained silent for a moment, fighting the smile and tears that threatened to emerge. "You're right, Justin." she said, leaning back into him and resting her head on his shoulder. "That _was_ corny... but thanks."

And though she's not sure how he always managed to do it, any self consciousness she may have been feeling had fled from her and she smiled everytime she passed a mirror... and things were wonderful again... and then...

Twenty three days later...

Screams were heard echoing down the halls of the small rural hospital followed by 'Push, Alex, push!' and anyone walking by may have chuckled when they heard a young woman growl, "What do you think I'm doing, Justin!"

To his credit, Justin only got slightly weak in the knees when the doctor asked him to cut the cord, and was only slightly teary eyed when he looked up into Alex's eyes. "It's a girl." he said as he placed this tiny new life on her mother's chest. A relieved smile graced his lips... it seems that they had, once again, beaten the genetic odds...

Several hours after a well deserved nap following nineteen of labor, Alex's eyes fluttered open and landed on Justin. He was sitting in a chair next to Alex's bed, smiling brightly at the tiny new life nestled securly his arms, stroking her pink cheeks with his finger.

He looked up and saw Alex smiling fondly at them. "Isn't she beautiful?" Alex nodded, "Just like her mother."

Justin chuckled softly and looked back down to the baby in his arms. "So, what's her name?"

"No idea. She didn't say." Alex said flatly before Justin shot her a 'seriously?' look. Alex smiled innocently at him for a moment before she told him, "I think you should name her." genuinely.

"Really?" he asked with hopeful eyes. Alex smiled back at him and nodded. Justin turned his attention back to their new baby and was silent for a moment. "I'd like to name her Abigail." he said, looking back to his wife, seeing the inquisitive look on her face. "It's an old Hebrew name... It means..." he paused for a second, looking back at Abigail, "...a father's joy."

Alex smiled lovingly at him. _Perfect_.

Five years passed and Katie's powers finally came in... and yes, she had to wear that ugly hat, and yes, like her mother, she hated it... but like her father, she knew it was a necessity so she put up with it for a few days.

A couple of weeks later her first magic lessons started. Justin taught her how to use magic responsibly... and Alex taught her how to have fun with it. Like everything else in her life, Katie had the best of both parents... her mother's ability to get herself into trouble but her father's knowledge to get herself out... most of the time. On those other rare occasions, she'd run to her father, give him the pouty face, and a 'daddy, please', then he would tell her how to fix it and make her promise never to do it again. "Okay, daddy!"

Abigail, Abby as she was called, was nearly the spitting image of her father... but behaved just like her mother. Rambunctious and mischievious, she delighted in the light-hearted pranks that her and her mother pulled around the house... Saran wrap on the toilet, shoes tied together, a hedgehog in Justin's underwear drawer (this one got a nice girly shriek from him), the classics.

As random as her uncle Max, most of her questions when she was younger were given the same answer... "What are you talking about?"... "Wouldn't it be cool if you could smell purple? Wouldn't it be fun to wrestle a sandwich? How would I know if I'm a ninja?"... thankfully, like Max, she, too, outgrew this... mostly.

Two years later...

Time presses inevitably forward: lives are created, lives are lived, and lives are lost... and tragically, Shirley's time had come.

Alex's neighbor, her friend, her confidant, the woman who had rescued her so long ago, passed on, and for the first time in a long time, Alex weapt. Sorrow swept through the Russo household because all of them had grown so close to this wonderful human being... she was their counselor, their guide, and sometimes their referee but, above all... she was family.

And as she was laid to rest on that cool April morning, Alex smiled... Shirley was with her Michael once again.

A few days later, Shirley's will was read and Alex was in for another surprise. Shirley had left a nice sum of the money, that wasn't split between her two children, to Alex. And when Shirley's two boys, Jacob and Stephen, wanted to sell the house that had saved Alex, she bought it with the money that was left to her.

In an act of uncharacteristic compassion, Alex rented out the house for basically nothing to young women in need, just like she used to be, and this only confirmed what Justin had always known... even though she could be cold and uncaring on the outside and as fiery as a volcano on the inside, if you go deep enough, to the places that only Justin was allowed access to, she was as soft as the petal of a rose... but infinately more beautiful and fragrant...

Thirteen years later...

Now in their mid-forties, Alex and Justin had a wedding to go to. Katie's wedding. For the past eight years, she had been dating her childhood sweetheart, Tyler, and though she loved magic, when the time came, giving it up was an easy decision.

Harper and Zeke had decided, some time ago, to buy the house right next to Justin and Alex when it went up for sale and Alex got what she wanted... her and her best friend's children growing up together... she just never imagined they'd end up getting married one day.

It was a huge spectacle... Justin saw to that... and since he had been working his was up the ladder in the same place Zeke worked, ever since Zeke told his boss that Justin was "Totally smart, dude." and was hired nineteen years ago, money was of no object... but Alex nixed the robot/alien theme pretty much as soon as it came up...

Justin cried when he gave Katie away, Alex cried too, but only when she was sure no one was watching, and Abby was all smiles, although she was more than a bit miffed at the hideous brides maid dress she was forced to wear... "Wow, Katie, couldn't you have found an _uglier_ color?" Abby remarked sarcastically. "Nope," said the happy bride-to-be, "and I looked _everywhere_ too!" shooting a 'jokes-on-you' look to her little sister.

Sadly, though, this day was the last time that any of the Russo's saw Max... mortals were called mortals for a reason, and Max had come to the time in his life when he needed to distance himself from his family... letting them go, otherwise, would've been much to hard.

Several years ago, he had married a young woman named Candice, who was also a wizard, and the last anyone heard, they were living in Florida...

Abby's life was never as stable as her older sister's. She left home when she was twenty one and drifted across the country to where ever the wind would take her, getting a job when she needed money and moving on before it ran out again... but nine years later, she fell in love with a wizard in California named Marcus and finally settled down.

Once again, Justin spared no expense, and once again, Alex shot down the robot/alien theme... "Just once, Alex. C'mon!" Alex just glared at him. "Our youngest daughter will _not_ be a part of that nerd circus but," she paused and quirked her head to the side, remembering the prom from her high school days, "a zombie wedding could be _so cool_!" "What!" he shrieked.

At the wedding, Justin cried again, as he bounced their first grandchild, Shirley (in honor of Mrs. Jenkins), now three years old, on his knee, and Alex held on to their second, Andrew, or Andy, who turned one last week, using him as a shield and a life sized rag to wipe her eyes so no one could see her own tears.

And in an act of revenge, Abby found the most hideous shade of green possibly known to man for her maid of honor. "Seriously, Abby?" Katie huffed. "It looks like ugly threw up all over this dress." Abby just chuckled and shrugged, "I guess there really _was_ an uglier color than the one you picked for me."

Once back at home, Alex and Justin flopped down on their couch and looked around their home. Decades ago, they had done some remodeling to accommodate their growing family, but, for the most part, it remained unchanged. After several minutes of comfortable silence, Alex laid her head on Justin's shoulder.

"Can you believe that our baby is married?" he asked.

Alex sighed contentedly and smiled. "I seems like just yesterday when we were putting that orange dye in your shampoo." Justin was less than thrilled with that one... he had to call in sick for three days before it would wash out.

Justin chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "I know." He gently cupped her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "I love you, Alex." She smiled brightly at him and blinked slowly a couple of times. "I love you, too... dork."

Alex and Justin bickered like an old married couple even before they actually were... even before they were actually a couple... but, except for those five years, they were always together. They were always there for each other when they really needed it, and once Justin got the same opportunity as Zeke did to work from home, they never spent more than twenty four hours apart.

They did everything together from the day Justin returned... they laughed, they loved, they cried, they raised their children, they fought... but no matter how bad a fight was, the one thing they _never_ did was go to bed alone... they'd had enough of that. At night, she'd drape herself over him, laying her head on his chest, or he'd press himself behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, and, if necessary, they'd pick up in the morning right where they left off... and life goes on.

And that's exactly what it did... what it always does. It goes on... and six years later, they lost their parents. First their father, then two years later, their mother. As they were laid to rest, Alex clung to Justin and cried into his chest, his own tears soaking her hair, remembering the people who had given them life and the chance at true happiness they'd so desperately needed...

Within in the next thirty years, they had lost Harper and Zeke, and while they were devistated, the sorrow was tapered by wonderful news and, nine months later, they were blessed with their first great-grandchildren, twins... Jenna and Brady... but their time with them, while joyous, was all too short... and that's what brings us here today.

Eight days ago, while making their way back from that small diner down the street, Justin had begun to feel ill and then he couldn't stop coughing. After being rushed to the emergency room, he was diagnosed with pnemonia and in his weakened state, was having a hard time fighting it off. For five days he fought but, for the past three, even though most of the infection had cleared, he's been unconscious...

Alex never left his side... not that the nurses on duty didn't try... "Mrs. Russo, I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. You can come back tomorrow." Alex didn't bother to look up at the young nurse's fake-sweet tone, she just kept stroking his arm, letting him know that she was still there. "I'm not leaving."

The nurse walked over to Alex and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Russo, but-"

"Take your hand off of me." Alex hissed.

The young woman complied and let out a weary sigh. "Listen, if you won't leave voluntarily, I'm afraid I'll have to call security..." But she didn't understand, she couldn't. She didn't know the depths of their commitment to each other and she couldn't fathom the bond they shared... few could... and she was taken aback by what happened next.

This elderly woman she barely knew gently kissed her husband's hand before setting it back down onto the bed by his side and the nurse thought for a moment that Alex was going to comply... but she was wrong.

She flinched, startled by Alex's speed as she stood, and the look in the old woman's eyes sucked the breath from her lungs. She could see the fire seething behind those brown orbs and retreated as far as she could before Alex had backed her into the wall.

Alex pointed her finger in the young woman's face, hands trembling with rage, and snarled, "You fucking bitch. Do you have _any_ idea how much that man means to me? Do you have _any idea_ what we've had to go through? Did you _seriously_ think that I wouldn't put up a fight... wouldn't do _anything_ to stay right here, by his side, where I belong?" She lowered her hand and inched dangerously closer to the nurse's face and growled, "So go ahead. You call security... but you better tell them to bring more than just a couple of guys."

The nurse quickly left without another word... either from fear or she was inspired by the breadth of the dedication she'd just seen... Alex didn't care, but either way, security never came. And as she stood there, silently challenging anyone else to stand in her way, a weak voice emerged from behind her. "Alex... that wasn't... very nice."

"Justin?" she replied, turning around, her anger suddenly gone. She walked to his bed and took his hand, using her free one to support herself as she sat down and slid the chair closer to his bedside. "You're awake." Her eyes were misty and she did something for the first time in eight days... she smiled. For too long all she's heard is his ragged breathing and the steady beeping of the heart monitor in the otherwise silent room. "What took you so long?"

Justin shrugged one shoulder and suppressed a cough. "I couldn't hear your voice."

Alex sniffled and pressed her lips to his hand for a moment before she replied. "I was so worried you wouldn't come back to me."

Justin closed his eyes for a moment and took in a jagged breath. "I'll always come back for you, Alex." he told her, opening his eyes again.

She nodded and whispered, "I know." And as her mind drifted to thoughts of the inevitable conclusion, tears slipped from her eyes. "Please, Justin. Don't go..." she whimpered. "Not yet... I... I'm not ready."

His breath hitched for a moment before he spoke. "I don't think it's up to me anymore." He drew in a labored breath and looked into her red, puffy eyes. "But no matter what, I'll wait for you..."

Alex gave him a quivering smile. "Promise?" He smiled back at her as he nodded. "Not good enough." she said with a smirk.

And as he quirked an eyebrow at her, she set his hand back down beside him and raised her own, balled into a loose fist, lifting her pinky away from the rest. "I guess it's probably time for me to tell you that this..." she said, wiggling her little finger, "...is all I've kept for myself, too... The rest of me..." she said as tears spilled from her eyes again, suddenly been overcome by her emotions, and her breaths grew ragged, "...has always belonged to you..."

Justin lifted his hand and took her pinky in his, and even though a few drops of moisture left his eyes, he still managed a smile. "Alex, that's cheesy..."

She laughed through her tears for a moment and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, well, you're contagious..."

Justin took her hand fully in his and squeezed it tightly. "Alex, I love you so much..." he told her, sensing his time in this world drawing to a close, "...more than you'll ever know."

She stood on her frail frame and leaned over him, placing a tender kiss upon his lips. "And I love you, Justin..." she told him, gently caressing his cheek, "...even more." she teased.

As she looked in to his eyes, those grey-green eyes, the steady beeping echoing in the small room began to slow down. And as his eyes began to close she had one last promise to make. "I'll find you Justin. No matter what... I promise."

As his eyes fully closed, her tears splashed down onto his cheeks, and when the heart monitor played it's final monotone song, she still wasn't fully prepared. "Justin?" she asked softly, shaking his shoulders. When he didn't reply, she grew more frantic, shaking him harder. "Justin?" she sobbed, "Please, God, no...not yet... Justin!"

When the nurses ran into the room Alex was crying into his chest, her hands balled into white knuckled fists, clinging to his hospital gown, and when she heard them approaching, she raised a trembling hand to stop them... she knew that they couldn't help... not anymore... he was gone...

Justin Russo passed away at 11:29pm, September 25, 2084 with the only woman he's ever truly loved, the woman who was always in his heart for seventy two years, his wife for sixty seven of those, by his side... he was ninety three years old.

With all of the paperwork signed, Katie took her mother home, called Abby to let her know that their father was gone, and, being her father's child, began to make plans for the funeral. She had never heard her mother so quiet before and could only watch with a heavy heart as Alex made her way to her bedroom, closing the door without a sound.

That night Alex wept harder than she ever had... more than she ever knew she was capable... and as sleep finally began to take her, her memory flashed one final time...

But this time was different. There was no pain. There was no guilt or remorse. There was no sorrow... All she saw was her family, her two beautiful daughters... and Justin.

When she thinks about this family, this tiny little family, unique and forbidden, and all the memories they shared, the good times, the bad times, the pranks she pulled on her husband and daughters, and how perfectly imperfect they truly were, she always smiles... but in her mind's eye, she's laughing at herself because maybe a better way to describe them was... imperfectly perfect...

Abby arrived early, having taken the red-eye from California, and when she and Katie entered their mother's room, they found her with a small smile still on her lips, ...

Alex Russo had passed away in her sleep at 3:47am, September 26, 2084, just four hours and eighteen minutes after Justin... she was ninety one.

Two days later, Alex and Justin Russo were laid to rest in Saint Joseph Cemetery surrounded by their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends they had made along the way. As the congregation cried over their loss, one person remained tear free, a knowing smile on her face...

Katie had been there from the nearly the beginning and had seen were they started and what they had become. And even though she knew them to be brother and sister, thanks to Max's little slip-up when she was but a small child, it never mattered to her. They were her parents and they loved her and Abby... and that's all she ever cared about... and she never told a soul.

And if she had turned around toward the lone tree standing proudly on the nearby hilltop she would've seen her uncle Max, looking as youthful as ever. She would've seen his tears, she would've seen him mouth the words, "I'll miss you guys... I love you..." and silently walk away.

As she held a crying Abby in her arms and looked around at the tear stained faces, her smile grew brighter... she knew what happened... why her mother had held on as long as she did even when, ten years ago, the doctors told Alex that it would be 'any day now'... it was for him... for her father... for Justin.

And she knew why she finally let go... Katie knew it wasn't because her mother wasn't strong enough to live without him... it was because she simply didn't want to...

With Justin gone and her children grown, there was no longer any reason for Alex to keep up the fight, so she let herself be called home, slipping away quietly into the night... after all, she had a promise to keep.

...

Alex's eyes fluttered open and a strange feeling came over her. It was one she had never felt before and lacked the words to adequately describe but, it was... peaceful. She blinked several times, taking in her new surroundings... the plush, billowing clouds just beneath her feet, the bright green grass emerging through them, the lone tree, not more than thirty feet away, the young man sitting beneath its shade... "Justin?"

The young man's head jerked toward the sound of her voice and she knew... "Justin!" she shouted, breaking into a sprint with the brightest smile he's ever seen across her face. "Alex!" he shouted in kind, quickly standing, spreading his arms as she came crashing into them.

Clinging tightly to each other, neither spoke for several moments, happy tears falling freely from their eyes.

"What happened?" Alex asked after a while. "I mean... we're like _young_ again."

Justin shook his head, "I'm not really sure but... uhm... I think we're... you know." he said, hoping he wouldn't have to say the words. Alex only nodded against his chest... she knew, too. She pulled back from him and looked deeply into his eyes, a glimmer of mischief sparkling in hers. "I'm just glad that I don't have to look at that bald head, that little beer gut, your loose flabby skin-" she teased until he said, "Alex!" in that 'not now' tone she knew too well.

"What?" she asked with a grin. "I'm glad I got rid of those crows feet, my grey hair, those saggy boobs I could tuck into my-" "Alex!" he shrieked.

"What?" she replied innocently, batting her lashes.

He looked around for a moment as if someone might be watching before looking back at her. "I don't think you're allowed to talk like that... here."

"Well, I just _did_... so _obviously_ I am. Duh." Alex replied sweetly... sort of. She furrowed her brow after a moment, taking stock of their surroundings, "Ummm... where are we exactly?"

Justin followed her eyes for a second, wondering the same thing before it finally clicked and a smirk crossed his face. "Well, if we are where I think we are then..." he said, looking back into her questioning eyes, "... how'd _you_ get in?" he teased.

"Hey!" she pouted... then punched him in the ribs, "Ow!" he shrieked, before she took a cautious look around. "Oh! And I can do _that_ here too?" she asked excitedly before jabbing him again, "Alex, stop that!" "Saa-weet!"

Justin narrowed her eyes at her for a brief second before the laugh he'd been supressing emerged and all he could do was sigh and shake his head.

Before either of them could speak again a warm glow shown down upon them and as they were bathed in the soft, golden light, they could hear the sound of a gate opening in the distance.

Alex smiled brightly at him and turned around toward the sound, wrapping his arms around her as she looked out on the fields of green grass, blowing softly in the breeze, the rich pastels of blue, yellow, pink and orange that lit the sky... a striking backdrop to the large snowcapped mountains in the distance... and a sun, seemingly frozen in time, casting its light down around it all.

Alex sighed contentedly, "It's beautiful, Justin."

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." he whispered.

She turned fully in his arms and saw his eyes fixed solely onto her. And even through the blushing smile she still managed to mumble, "That's cheesy" before bringing her lips to his. And as they parted, he was smiling widely at her. "I know."

In that moment, she began to think of her children and, as her own smile faded, her face grew a little sad, "Justin, I miss our kids."

He gently caressed her cheek before leaning down to kiss her forehead, "Me too. But they'll be fine. We raised them well... and don't worry, we'll see them again someday." She only nodded and smiled, accepting that he was right... he usually was.

He embraced her tightly and took a deep breath before letting her go. "Are you ready?" he asked, motioning his head toward the large gate before them.

Entwining his hand in hers, and taking a deep breath of her own, Alex gave a quick nod. "I was born ready."

Justin gazed into Alex's eyes, smiled at her one last time, and placed a slow, tender kiss upon her lips.

And in the warm, golden glow of the calming light, they said, "I love you" to each other one final time before they turned toward the perpetually setting sun and walked, hand in hand, into forever...

.

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A/N: well, there ya' go. this story is officially complete. i sincerely hoped you liked it.

though this may have gotten a bit sad about 7/8 of the way through, i like the way it turned out... after all, what's life without death, love without heartbreak, right without wrong, or good without evil... they're meaningless... so why not write about it?

or if that ain't your thing, think about it like this... they got their happy ending, and most importantly, it's a permanent one!

i debated, in case you're wondering, on whether or not they should get married... thought out a scenario for each... but couldn't decide... so i flipped a coin... hope you weren't disappointed.

i want to thank everyone who read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this thing... i know i've said it before, but i really do appreciate it...

Okay, that's it... Peace Out.


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